I wrote an essay several months ago that was included in the Naga Viewers’ reunion souvenir program. It earned us free lodging at Camp Wawona in Yosemite National Park. I wanted to publish it here but the file was in our desktop hard drive and its power supply broke down shortly after I wrote the essay. It was only yesterday that we finally replaced the malfunctioning part.
This essay is for everyone who set foot at Naga View, specially those who missed the reunion. I hope to see you at the next reunion in 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Robert Fulghum’s bestseller, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned at Kindergarten,” has been a tremendous inspiration to millions of individuals. It reminds us that valuable guiding principles are learned early in life.
It was not a book that opened my eyes to life’s credo. Rather, it was a jewel of a place, perched proudly on the slopes of Bicol’s Mt. Isarog. It is a place known as Naga View. There is not one story that I can say plays in my mind the most because each day at Naga View was different. Each experience complemented the other in instructing me, and all of them I hold close and remember well like it was yesterday.
Activities in Naga View taught me all about teamwork. It was palpable from a simple game during Saturday night socials and the adrenaline pumping Play-for-Pay to none greater than the preparation for Foundation Day. Building sturdy booths that stood on the lawn required that we go in groups to the recesses of Yabu and the ranch to find the best cogon grass, bamboo and coconut leaves so that our booth would be finished right on time for the annual celebration.
Respect was instilled by the daily flag-raising ceremony. We would line up every day at quarter till seven. With right hands on our chests, our youthful, lusty voices filled the air with strains of “Lupang Hinirang.” Then we recited “Panatang Makabayan” hands held up in a vow. As we raced to our classrooms, the halls echoed with “Good morning, Sir,” and “Good morning, Ma’am.” Yes, we learned respect for each other, our teachers, ourselves and our country.
Homeroom beautifying contests inspired industry. We painted walls, cleaned, picked-up trash, swept, and decorated the walls with uplifting quotes. The boys scrubbed the floor with such energy known only to youth until the polished floor reflected our ruddy faces. The JS Prom ignited fundraisers to ensure that our monetary contributions were less and everyone in class would be able to attend the gala.
Perseverance took a human form in my classmates who climbed down the slopes of the mighty Isarog every day. Jose, the brothers Diego and Peñaco, Anita and Analyn came to school withstanding heat and rain. There were a few snickers on days they arrived wet and muddy but they gained our respect. There were the countless working students like the Cortezes and the Vergaras who endured the three kilometer walk from Carolina with a month’s supply of food on their shoulders when no jeepney would venture up the pothole ridden road to Naga View.
There was always fun at Naga View. Saturday nights were reserved for socials and marches were brokered right after sundown worship. Film showing was an exciting event long before Betamax and DVD were invented. We filled our pockets with delicious guavas freshly picked from the ranch and held court up in the branches of the mango tree near the Girls’ Dormitory much to Ma’am Perturbos’ dismay. On days the water system broke down, students would still cheerfully walk to Yabu or Inarihan River to take a bath while trading jokes and chewing sugar cane all the way.
There was love at Naga View. I had my family who filled my heart with love and have been my strength all these years. I had my “foster family” from which I gained new brothers, sisters and countless potlucks each year. And yes, I will not skip the puppy love of high school crushes that highlighted the days. There was love that even came as work: garden plots, bayanihan — harvesting corn and cleaning up the roads, and the annual Ingathering campaign.
God’s presence was bountiful in the simple life at Naga View. I felt Him with me from the time the sun peeped from behind Isarog’s grandeur until its fiery red glow was replaced by Naga City’s twinkling lights. My relationship with Him was strengthened by midweek, vesper, Sabbath services and that unforgettable sundown worship. I was baptized after Week of Prayer, deeply moved to claim the life that only God can give.
The basic values of teamwork, respect, industry, perseverance and love that guide a person to succeed in the rat race of this world have been practiced all these years at Naga View. I didn’t have to learn them by attending a seminar or reading a book. And how I learned! This place instilled fun while learning; it showed that simple, childlike fun is everywhere. It thrives even in difficulty.
Best of all, it taught me about God. While many still strive to find a Higher Being in religions or mysticism, I experienced God early on at Naga View. He molded me through my family, my teachers and my friends at the serene environment of this school. Nothing can compare to having God in my life. This I learned at Naga View.