NDSCP-HS Batch 2011: Seniors' Class Prophecy

Written by: Jon Leo Licayan

 ~oOo~

June 28, 2027 eight o’clock in the evening.

My friends and family filled my house as I finally proclaim my candidacy for the upcoming Presidential Elections. I invited big-time guests and also some of my high school colleagues. They were Engr. John Leo Norcos, DOJ Secretary Rojenette Vasquez, and Most Rev. Archbishop Kenji Paul Salvador. 

As we enjoyed and partied that night, I felt something vibrating on my pocket, and oh! It is my cell phone ringing, so I excused my self first to answer the phone call.

With a heavy sigh, I answered the call. I asked the person on the other line “who’s this calling?” I was shocked when a beautiful and lovely voice answered me on the phone. “Hey Sen. Jon! How are you? I’ve heard you’re running to be the next president. That’s good! Janine here…” Oh yes, that was Janine Bernadette Mones, my high school classmate who is now the reigning Ms. Universe and a certified actress too! I can’t believe she called.

It was around two o’clock dawn when my last visitor left. As I took rest, I decided to turn-on the television. I stumbled as I found a familiar face on the CNN news. To my surprise it was Nel Bryan Gorecho, a good high school friend of mine who is now a very good newscaster.

He is reporting about the 2 brave lawyers, who fought for justice of the Exploited Filipinos in Middle East, they were Atty. Ian Louise Doctolero and Atty. Maricar Dignadice. I was a bit stunned also on its Entertainment news, it was reported that Omaira Cartil, my high school friend was one of the nominees for Best Recording Artist of the Year in the Grammy Awards. Nel added on the entertainment news that the famous Universal Hearthrobs: Chint Libre, Jay Mark Yungco, Leonard Tomada, John Paul Rafal, and Patrick Kent Javier will be having a world tour in Asia this September.

As the news ended, A sneakpeak of an upcoming movie thrilled me, to my surprise that beautiful leading lady on the screen was Audrey Jane Amarante, with her leading man Prince Eron Penetrante.

A grin in my face appeared when I found my friends in television. Feeling very tired but delighted, I retired my self to sleep.

It was seven o’clock in the morning when I woke up on the next day, I got up and prepared for I remembered that I have a scheduled flight to Singapore at 11 o’clock for a conference with the Filipino community leaders in the country. While preparing, I picked a  newspaper.

I was mesmerized by the headline of the news “Heroes of the Year: Salmorin, Bendigo, Salada” I found out that it was referring to my old friends Rodel Salmorin, John Paul Bendigo, and Rebecca Leah Salada, now whose names were renowned for helping the people in need in the remote areas of Compostella Valley were NPA’s hide.

As I continued reading the next news, I found-out about the achievement of the Philippine Team on the FIFA WORLD CUP 2025 where Jan Michael Esteban, Friljohn Inojales, Cesar Gantalao and their teammate were awarded as the over-all champion.

Enough of reading newspaper, I took bath, changed my clothes, ate my breakfast and rushed to the airport.

While waiting for my flight, I looked for a close at hand bench just around the area when suddenly someone tapped my back, and oh! It is 5 star General Jervy Maramba with 1^st Lt. Rolly Abordo. They intvited me for a coffee first, at a nearby Café shop. Since my flight will still be after an hour, I agreed to the invitation.

While enjoying a cup of coffee and seating on the restaurant’s soft couch, we’ve made a conversation. They informed me that Guian Paolo Catubig is now a multi-millionaire in Las Vegas owning the biggest lottery outlet in the city. They also told me that Jaharah Mangelin, Anna Mae Balistoy, Melanie Benavides and Ryz Kezzer Diaz are now at Oxford University for their further studies in nursing care.

In the middle of our conversation I heard the announcement saying: “Calling the attention of all the passengers of Flight QZ 1959 bound to Singapore, please proceed to Gate 26 now.”

It is my flight to Singapore. With no more further hesitations, I thanked Gen. Maramba and Lt. Abordo for having a nice coffee hour with them then I went directly to the specific gate mentioned.  

Aboard the plane, I was happy and surprised when I saw the three good-looking flight steward and stewardess who were my former classmates in High School. They were Irene Cuesta, Grazecil Gales and Robert James Jimena. They told me that captain Irvin James Leopez with co-pilot Marlon Lingcopines II took charge of the plane’s smooth travel.

When the plane landed at Singapore International Airport, I was pins and needles. I received a lei from International Flower Exporter Allaiza Rose Mag-aso.

From the airport, I was booked at Singapore Centennial Hotel. While taking a rest, there came unexpected visitors. They were my old time friend, Generoso Mirasol Jr., now a successful Physical Therapist and Jasmine Rose Salada, a dentist who were both settled already in Singapore as migrants. Through them, I was able to know that Arth Jester Valencia and Mera Flor Superio had recently received the highest honor as the World’s Outstanding Zoologists by the United Nations International Conference for Environment.

After a chat with them, I had a cat nap to relieve my jetlag. It was around round two o’clock when I woke-up to prepare for the conference with the Filipino Community Leaders in Singapore to discuss matters regarding the situation of the OFW’s in Singapore, and Malaysia.

The conference ended at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon. We went to a nearby 5 star restaurant to have a dinner with the community leaders. Without my knowledge, the luxurious restaurant was corporately owned by Marilou Lloren, Precious Mae Dela Cruz, and Chrischev Andre Espesor. 

The following day, I didn’t have any scheduled activities to do and so I decided to roam around the city. While lounging at the hotel’s cafeteria, I noticed a lady swiftly waiving on me. At first, I just ignored it, but later on I realized it was Annalie Barola, she walked by me with a smile on her face and gladly greeted me.

No word could ever describe on her that moment because she’d really a lot. She became sexy more than I could imagine. I interested her for a seat to chat. Through out our conversation, I learned that she is now the present City Mayor of Polomolok, and she’s in Singapore to visit Kaye Angeli Maturan and Mary Chrysler Azurin who were now both teaching at Chao Phi Pan University, the newest university in Singapore.

I also learned from her that my beloved Alma matter had become a university already and has obtained its heights in educating the young for the service of truth. According to her, our former classmate, Sr. Florence Mae Mabaquiao, O.P., PhD. is the present president of the university. I felt so delighted for the achievements of my Alma mater.

After chatting, Annalie then accompanied me to the City’s Biggest Hospital, which was excellently planned and constructed by Architect James Ian Pellazo and Engr. Diana Jane Lopez. From, Annalie, I learned that highly-skilled Filipino doctors, Dr. Roselle Jave Dignadice, a pediatrician, Dr. Chinee Mae Trasporto, a Cardiologist, and Dr. Darlene Kaye Mirasol, an Ortho-Dentist were awarded as the top Doctors of the year in that certain hospital.

From there, we went to a plushy restaurant owned by Gemma Hil Bucol. Champagne appeared instantly. We had caviar first, on tiny wedges of toasts, with little wedges of lemon and salmon. After that, in a delicate sauce, followed by pheasant, salad, cheese, scuffle on Grand Marnier, and tiny little butterfly cookies.

I can hardly move. It’s an opulent meal. I was privileged to know the restaurateur, Chris Ian Montealto. After few more chit-chats, I decided to go back to the hotel.

While riding my BMW 2020 model, I passed by a concert hall and noticed that people were going like crazy raising their neon lights and posters, and yelling loudly. I decided to stop for a while to observe what they’re doing.

Later I realized, it was my former classmate Ronilo Ortouste to whom they were fanned of. He’s now a successful vocalist of Side A Band together with Niel Paza, drummer, and Marlon Lingcopines III, lead guitarist. I also discovered that Mervin Agustin now a successful song writer was their manager.

Then I continued driving back to the hotel, when I noticed some familiar faces in the billboard, to my surprise they were Vanessa Norcos, Mae Esteffani Costas, and Nielyn Mae Laguerder posing as the model of elegant Ixylena Dresses skillfully fashioned by Trixy Ann Perales, and Krisha Celena Rodrigo.

When I arrived at the hotel, I laid my back on the sofa and have a magazine. As I was scanning its pages, I was fascinated by the nice shot of Shaharah Figueroa and Adrian Alibanbang, with a concept of Adam and Eve Reborn. I am more captivated when I knew that it was Kristine Deligero who crafted the image dexterously.

The following day, before going back at the Philippines at 12 noon, I decided to visit the newest and the most modernized Museum in Singapore since it is its grand opening.

I observed that engraved on the main wall of the Museum was Caguing, Geosyl, to my surprise he is one of the directors of the museum. While gazing the stunning crafts of the museum, I saw John Bryan Rosales admiring the bone structure of an ancient man found in Indonesia by Archaeologist Nikko Neil Gorecho. I then realized his an archaeologist and historian already. I bid him goodbye after an interesting talk with him.

After an hour of strolling and experiencing the adventures in the museum, I went directly to the airport for my flight back home.

It was around 2 o’clock in the afternoon when the plane landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 6 in Manila. I could see my security and body guards were already in place for my return.

Not far from where I stood, a gorgeous woman winked at me. I just smiled on her. She walked towards me, looking straight at me and sexily biting her lips, she approaches me and then. . .

“Hey, Jon wake-up lunch-break is over. We better punch-in now, Boss might scold us!”

I opened my eyes and realized that it was just a dream. 

Dilemma of Education in Modernization

Education. We may not know what its real essence, but it plays a really big role in us. It shows us the path for a better life, and a better future. It is the measure of our strengths and weaknesses.

            Today, we are very much influenced by the concepts of modernization and sophistication. It infects us not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally and intellectually. This is due to the fast growth of technology that makes us more complex and superior. But how does it affect our education?

Our parents keeps on reminding us that education is the only thing we can keep wherever we go, it can’t be stolen in us, and it is our key to open the doors of our future. But what’s happening to us right now? Why some of us are still illiterate even we have many sources to be educated?

Education seems to be Baduy or Uncool if we say it nowadays. Since for us the essence of being cool is using Cellular phones, Ipods, mP3s, computer, and many more. Things that makes us more proud, and feel sikat.

It is not bad to desire these objects, to be entertained and be inspired. But the problem is, together with this sophistication, is the decrease of our literacy rate. They build their nests in our eye. We loose our concentration and self-awareness.

Many countries are suffering for a very low literacy rate; it becomes a barrier for the development and success. The quandary is within us, we tend to use those gadgets on our working hours. We waste our time and money for nothing.

We students are the most common victim of this modernization virus. Instead of doing the assignments, studying our lessons, and making our projects, we dissipate our time in playing computer games, and texting. Cell phone is a common problem of any educational institution, we tend to use it during the class, especially if the teacher seems to be boring and we are not interested on the topic.

            When our teacher gives us a research work, we are expected to use the computer and surf the Internet. Yes, we made a research. But the problem is we have the copy-paste attitude. We just copy it from a website with-out reading it, print it and pass it to our teachers. Sometimes, we think that we had already made it; soon we found that it doesn’t make sense. The article we copied is not the right topic needed. So it doesn’t make difference in our grades, and it doesn’t make us learn things.

We are fond of wasting time; we have what we called Filipino Time – delayed or late. We are also chained by the different Filipino postponing attitude such as Bahala Na System and the Maniana Habit. We have this kind of attitude from our ancestors. This type of attitude was more encouraged these days because of the globalization. It makes us lazier and we think things don’t have any value. We just let them pass away. We say we always have a second chance, but we must value our time like a precious stones. As it was said, “Time flies and never will it return.”

If we say that Japanese are sticklers in time, Americans are very much time-oriented, why can’t we Filipinos? Self-discipline is the answer for this question, proper time-management and value of time. Cherish each second of our life; try to learn as many things as we can in just a minute, for education happens, everywhere, and anytime.