palawan day 1

the plane landed.

we immediately went to see our accomodation area. i thought that the ub delegation would stay in a single room (we are 5) only to find out that ub delegates would be separated, anyway, go pa rin.

the event already started when we arrived, fortunately my event will be held in the afternoon at around 3pm so i barely have atleast 3 hours to rest and prepare my self for the competition. we arrived at puerto princesa at around 1130.

puerto princesa is a warm place, that warm feeling however is not that similar to warm places like the ncr, dagupan or tarlac. in palawan, though its war, you easily dont feel the sticky feeling of sweating. i believe this is due to the natural environment that envelopes the city. in its nearby towns, its embraced by an all green atmosphere. one thing i observed in puerto princesa is the discipline and strict implementation on the policies on cleanliness. across the roads and corners of the city you can see a trash can. throwing or scattering litters would make you pay a fine of 200 pesos. no wonder scattering is a no-no in the city.

its 3pm. from circon inn (where we stayed), i wlaked across the city to ardent hotel where the competition on opinion writing (english) is held. as i entered the hall, i saw a seroius atmosphere. as my eyes slowly scanned the area hoping to find some one i know, i noticed every one was busy reading papers, texting while some are outside chatting with their team mates.

the competition began. i suppose the organizers forgot that i dont have a kit to use during the event. gladly, there are friendly competitors who lend me a pieceof paper. the event started. every one was surprised to hear that the topic for opinion writing is the recent decision of the supreme court upholding the constitutionality of the visiting forcs agreement and its order to transfer smith under philippine custody. almost all participants were expecting that environmental issue would be the subject.

i immediately wrote some notes, all ideas scattered, vague and lacks direction. its all in the mind. as other participants were busy writing their articles, i struggled over gather all the chimeras in my mind, placing them in their proper station, and writing them down. then i finished my article. as i read it, its content was dominantly dramatic with a taste of choices regarding the constitutionality and beneficiality of either options.

9pm.

pasyal ng konti.

then slept.