Taken from the Opinion section The Philippine Star 01 Sep 2006

Like A Molave Tree

Incidentally as I remember there was an ROTC course known as the Molave Warrior (Jungle Fighters Course) much earlier than the Anahaw Summer Camp Training. Maybe graduates acquires the descriptions symbolized by the Molave tree as seen by the President, massive, strong, resilient, unafraid of the rising tide, lightning, the storm and confident of its strength.

Long time Bro, I was buzy with the Homeowners election herein our subdivision.
Molave, when I was taking COCC with my mother unit, there were two batchmates of mine who took-up this training while in high school CAT. If remember it right they were graduates of Caloocan High School, they were bragging of jumping from a Chopper and experiences like river crossing and stuff. They say their training was ranger (unconventional warfare) they were good specially during our war games, you maybe talking about this Molave.

Sir;

Our commandant in high school was a member of lynx 77, he imparted with us some of the stuffs he learned as a rainbow ranger, it was good.

I shared these in Timawa before... might as well share them here too. :)

ENSIGN ESTRADA (MANYAKIS)

In the DLSU ROTC Office, there was this Ensign who visits the unit from Headquarters, PN (Tawagin na lang natin siyang Ensign Estrada) and he had the biggest crush on one of the members of the Corps of Sponsors. Maganda naman kasi talaga yung Sponsor na yun at napaka sweet. Her skin is so smooth and tender, maganda ang mukha at higit sa lahat, pamatay ang boobs (maalala ko lang naglalaway na ako eh). Kapag may nahuhulog nga at dinadampot niya yun akala mo may dumating na Admiral... lahat napapa- "Attention on Deck!"

So si Ensign Estrada kapag pumupunta ng DLSU panay ang porma sa opisina ng Corps of Sponsors kapag nandun si boobsie bombshell (Tawagin natin siyang Trisha). Kaso, ayaw ni Trisha kay Ensign for many reasons I would not elaborate. Minsan ay pinagtataguan niya pa ito sa likod ng pinto o nagkukubli siya sa ibang office.

Kami ng isang buddy kong MOCC ay nakaisip ng kalokohang malaki. Alam kasi namin na yung secretary ng ROTC Ofice ay galit sa Ensign na yun. Ako naman, isa sa mga talent ko ang mang-gaya ng boses ng tao at gayang gaya ko ang boses ni Ensign Estrada. So pumunta kami sa isang computer lab ng DLSU kung saan may teleponong pakalat kalat (wala pa kasing Cel noon eh) at tinawagan ko ang ROTC Office ....ang nakasagot yung secretary (Tawagin nating Vilma)...

Vilma: ROTC Good morning

Ako (imitating Ensign's voice): "Hillow gud morneng. Kausapin ko lang si Trisha, kapatid niya ito, kapatid."

Vilma: WALA, WALA SI TRISHA DITO. AT HINDI GANYAN ANG BOSES NG KAPATID NYA.

Ako: "Eh ano naman ang pakialam mo kung ganito ang boses ko eh kailangan ko siya makausap. Huuu, nandiyan siya tinatago mo lang siya ano?"

VIlma: GAGO KA BA? NABOBOSESAN KITA, HINDI IKAW ANG KAPATID NI TRISHA IKAW SI ENSIGN ESTRADA! GUMISING KA! KAHIT ANO GAWIN MO HINDI MO MAKUKUHA SI TRISHA BLAH BLAH BLAH...

Ako: "Huuu, selos ka lang kasi siya yung gusto ko at hindi ikaw! Matanda ka na! May alupihan ka na sa tiyan!"

Hindi na namin matiis ng buddy ko dahil tawang tawa na talaga kami kaya binagsak ko na lang yung phone . Halos madapa kami sa kakatawa habang tumatakbo mula computer lab hanggang sa south gate ng DLSU.

Maya maya ay bumalik kami ng ROTC Office at pumasok kami sa opisina ng Commandant kung saan nakaupo si Vilma sa desk niya. Tinanong ko siya: "Ma'am Vilma, bakit po parang ang init ng ulo niyo ngayon. Mas maganda kayo kapag laging nakangiti" ... Ang sagot ba naman eh "KAKALBUHIN KO YANG ENSIGN ESTRADA NA YAN, TUMAWAG DITO HINAHANAP SI TRISHA KAPATID DAW NIYA PERO NABOSESAN KO. KAPAL TALAGA NG MUKHA NIYAN!!!" Lalo kaming natawa ng buddy ko at sinakyan na lang namin ng mga "ows?" at "talaga?" ang mga mapapait na salita ni Vilma against the Ensign. Kaya pagdating ulit ng Ensign sa DLSU hindi siya kinakausap ni Vilma. Kinuwento ng buddy ko yun sa mga ka batch namin sa MOCC and we had a riotous time in the Kaibigan restaurant over that incident.

DLSU Fair sometime during the early '90s....

ROTC Office was open for duty at nighttime upon request of the university. ROTC people were to augment security and discipline office personnel in keeping order in the fair... The DLSU Marines Special Service Unit (suspended since 1995) is on deployment in the campus as additional security while inside the ROTC Office, there is the MOOD (Midshipman Officer of The Day) and two MJOWs (Midshipman Junior Officer of the Watch - one of them was me) coordinating the movements by radio. Two Marines reported in that they detected some movement on the roof of a building so the MOOD ordered them to verify and report back what's going on. After a few minutes, the Marines did not respond so the MOOD paged them again asking them who or what was out there. The two Marines got on the radio again whispering: "Sir, PNP Sir." ... The MOOD was curious and said: "Ano? Bakit may Pulis sa rooftop? Anong ginagawa ng Pulis doon?" The Marine reported back: "Sir dali, dalhin niyo yung binoculars.... walang pulis dito... yung PNP Sir... meaning PASOK NA PASOK yung etits sa pekpek!" The MOOD then ran off with the binoculars ordering us MJOWs to stay behind... May nagyayarian lang pala sa rooftop. Sayang di ko napanood yung "live show".

MOCC Hell Week...

my batch has been ordered to jog around the DLSU field for 70 times. Sobrang bad trip talaga kami noon. Habang umiikot kami sa field may maintenance man na nagdidilig gamit yung mahabang hose. Ang init ng araw noon at after 30 rounds uhaw na uhaw na lahat at ang sama na ng tingin doon sa hose ng nagdidilig. 40 rounds... pagod na pagod na sa kaka-jogging... pagdating ng mga 50 rounds, nilapag ng Janitor yung hose niya at umalis (siguro sinadya dahil naaawa na at nakitang ang sasama na ng tingin namin sa hose niya) paglapag ng hose sa damo biglang nag-dive yung buong batch namin at agawan sa pag-inom doon sa hose, yung iba napahiga at napasubsob na sa basang damuhan sa kaka-agaw. Sigaw ng sigaw yung mga trainors namin pero mas umiral ang uhaw kaysa sa takot... tumuloy lang kami sa kakatakbo noong lumapit na sila at sinabihan kami na uulitin namin ang 70 rounds kapag hindi kami nag resume ng pagtakbo.

An Officer and a Preacher Man

MOCC days again... During the mid part of the MOCC, a First Class Officer (Let's call him Sir Santos) who was a Born Again Christian introduced himself to us and made it a point that he would spend at least half an hour a day every morning in Bible Study Sessions in the Office quadrangle. Even though a lot of us are not into religious meanderings, we welcomed it as a good break because the alternative to that would be to get tormented by the rest of the upperclass who were not really very "Saintly" like Sir Santos. The moment the Bible Study ends and Sir Santos goes to his class though, a comedy session by the other officers ensues making fun of the activity and making parodies of the Bible Study at the MOCCs expense.

One day, after the Bible Study, Sir Santos exited the building and as usual, the smirking and giggling third and second class officers stormed into the quadrangle toward the MOCCs standing at nervous attention.

A DLSU Marine Officer who was always very jovial during these "aftermaths" shouted: "O, MOCCs, ANO ANG MAGANDANG BALITA? HA HA HA HA HA" Another officer then said "NOONG UNANG PANAHOOOON, ANG MGA MOCC NA ITO AY NAKAHUBAD, NAGLALAKAD SA TAFT AVENUE" the others laughed along and one of them blurted out "ANO, ANO ANG NATUTUNAN NIYO NGAYON... IKAW! IKAW ANO ANG NATUTUNAN MO HUH?" My Batchmate responded: "Sir, we learned that we are already saved by Jesus Christ". The Upperclass then retorted: "ANO NAMAN ANG IBIG SABIHIN NUN PARA SA IYO?" Another Batchmate responded: "Sir, that whatever sins we committed are forgiven because Jesus Christ already died for our sins" Then another Officer quipped: "AH, OK PALA YUN AH. SO KAHIT PALA GUMAWA AKO NG NAPAKARAMING KASALANAN OK LANG TUTAL NILIGTAS NA NAMAN ANG SANGKATAUHAN DI BA? HA HA HA HA HA" ... the only thing is, he was laughing by himself... May kumalabit sa likod niya... si Sir Santos nakikinig pala....

I think some of the good things about ROTC/CMT and cadet's life are the experiences of which you learn things and apply in your ordinary life.

Lesson learned No.1: It pays to be Honest

Proby day 1, MCMTC Ft. Bonifacio. We were subjected to the usual welcome of indoctrination, medical and the physical rigours of training. For the whole day, jog, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. etc. as if all those NCOs are having a good time. That night after dinner everybody were busy setting up their personal things and beddings with all aching bodies raring to go and lay down when suddenly one of the NCO called up my name. I hurriedly reported and was informed that I was picked-up to do SENTRY duty for the first 2 hours.

It was okay for first 20 minutes, then silence. The next few minutes walking from corner to corner was suddenly starting to be boring. In order to fight off that sleepiness, I had to challenge myself by looking at the sentry of the ARMY group, just like me walking back and forth. But the aching body was just too unbearable that I sat on the desk provided. Again, just to hold on, just watched the other sentry on the other side, and liked me, was already sitting. Maybe it was the humid summer night that I didn't know that I started to doze off until suddenly 'TUKOOO... TUKOOO.." a gecko! Up above the tree left near me. As I tried to gaze on the tree I could see at the corner of my left eye, a figure, 10 - 15 meters away! It was the Colonel our Training Director! I stood up without being able to get out properly from the desk and gave him a Salute and greeted. He said "At ease" and 'Natutulog ka ba bata?". Quickly, I replied, "NO SIR" with the side comment, "Maraming Lamok, Sir" with the matching scratching of the arms and neck.

He then proceeded to the barracks and made his rounds and did saw for himself the tired trainees heavily asleep unmindful of the big mosquitos biting their faces. He left and a few more minutes I ended my tour and woke up the next sentry.

The following morning before lunch we were all called to line up. We were issued our supplies, blankets, bedsheets and mosquito nets. :aberet: