The classmates and staff of the LKSantos website, which is running on its fifth year, congratulates all the lucky sonouvaguns who would actually graduate this year without delay. If you're one of them, kindly check and send your graduation pictures or details to geronimocristobal@yahoo.com
Speaking of expectant graduates, I know Classmate Gershon Bautista plans to prolong his stay at UST after graduating with a BS Degree in Microbiology, to maximize his tenure as UAAP competitor. We haven't heard from classmates Daniel Baldeo and the rest who took their courses at FEU but I'm sure we have a few who'll graduate this March or April. The nursing graduates will be facing another challenge in the future and that's taking the Board exam. We just hope this year won't be fed up with another controversy.
For the rest who are stuck in Engineering and those hard to take five-year courses, one more year in college won't hurt you. Let's enjoy life buddies! That also goes to those who won't graduate this year or the next and to those who won't graduate at all.
5:40 AM - Classmate Japoy is setting sights on a bigger fight
"Japoy" Lizardo, representing the Philippines, is now a gold medalist in the fin weight category at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games 2005. Just 19 years of age, the third-year student at De la Salle University in Manila has garnered more medals since graduating from high school, and is currently our country's brightest prospect in the sport of taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) speaks exclusively to this rising star.
"Always give your best and fight as if it's your last."
"Let's practice the good things that we have learned in this martial art and sport of taekwondo and let us share it with the rest of the world."
Why did you learn taekwondo?
When I was 11 years old, I watched martial arts on TV and I was inspired by Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and our local artist Monsour del Rosario; they enlightened me with their fancy moves and death defying stunts. From then on, I wanted to have martial arts as a self-defense.
Is there anybody else among your family or friends who practices taekwondo?
We are a family of five, but nobody in my family knows that I'm into taekwondo by the time I started. I have an elder brother and younger sister; both have 2nd Dan black belt. I'm the second sibling. But my parents have supported me in fulfilling my dreams and guiding me by their example.
How significant is taekwondo to your career?
Taekwondo is not just my hobby, but a career in the first place. It is through this sport and martial art that I get to serve my countrymen. I would be happy to coach the future players of our country; this is my way of sharing what I love to do.
What is your own taekwondo philosophy?
First of all, true self-confidence. Also knowing what we are capable of and applying what we know. Furthermore, as a born again Christian knowing that God has given us our talents and that we should use it for the good.
How does taekwondo benefit your mental and physical states?
It helps me increase my mental power in so many ways before, during, and after training. My mental training doesn't start and end during practice sessions. I do my best to follow my scheduled training. I also maintain the attitude of giving my best each time I train. I treat difficulties as training obstacles that I have to get through.Defeats also play an important part in my training I treat each loss as another chance to stand up. Each task I accomplish takes me closer to victory.My training will definitely contribute to my positive outlook in life. "As an Olympic sport, show them that taekwondo is a sport for all, and taekwondo continues to improve in different ways.This matters a lot."
How do you evaluate the Southeast Asian Games 2005?
It was not my first international competition. But it was a new experience for me since it was held in our country. Overall, the Games were difficult because you knew you were fighting the best athletes in Southeast Asia. Also, there was added pressure because I was fighting in my own country.
What could be done to increase its popularity?
In my opinion, media and advertising would help a lot. They could feature some athletes with good character and good credentials to serve as role models in local advertisements. After that, we could feature all of them in an international advertisement and promote them worldwide. We should also follow other sports that use great athletes, such as Pele for soccer, Michael Jordan for basketball, and Andre Agassi for tennis.
What might be the obstacles to taekwondo development?
The major obstacles are taekwondo athletes who give taekwondo a bad name by not behaving like sportsmen inside or outside the court. Taekwondo players who don't follow the rules of taekwondo competition will destroy the image of taekwondo. I think that kind of athlete has no place in this disciplined sport. Taekwondo is known for its discipline that's why parent's enrolled their children. Taekwondo teaches you to be a disciplined citizen.
Nowadays peace and humanity are important issues for the sports federations. How could these be realized through taekwondo?
I think by uniting the people and practicing the sport. There are so many opportunities, especially through competitions and development projects, which enable us to know each other, our culture, our differences, and our needs. Classmate John Paul Lizardo competed for the Qatar Asiad this year but did not bring home any medal. He rubs off the dismay and sets his eyes on a bigger stint and that is winning our country's first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 .
After almost four years now, I still think we should've won the "Madulang Sabayang Pagbigkas". We had the it all, the talent, the good looks, the horror and the hardwork except for one elusive thing they call luck. I still can't accept in my heart that we had to settle for second place. Me and Ian had to hold our guts in and take Alex on stage with nothing but our underwear. I know many of us had to take the extra mile. In many situations we proved we were worth more than being just second. The Article in the Blue View apparently had no balance in claiming it as the year of the Stars errr... section. Amorsolo is a painter for Booboos sake and it's more fitting for a man of letters like LKSantos to get the title. Besides that, who got to meet the author, Rio Alma face to face and tell him that one of his poem got performed dramatically by us? Who? Me and AC, nonetheless. He even signed his autograph on our poster. So after four years, I should've spent on maturity, I will still childishly poke fun once again on the star section and say that we were better than them. I don't know if they bribed the judges or something but we will always be better than them. *sighs* and more *sighs* They even took out the entire star section system in DPS, just to show how awkward the word "star" sounded like when paired off with a word like "section". Star section, I just don't get it, will never do. Good for Diliman though, the only good they've done since unashamedly claiming quality education despite obvious commercialization and tuition fee increase. Previously being in one is as pathetic as how my sourgraping sounds like and now it's nothing more but a residual culture in our old high school.
Well maybe someday I'll learn that it's really not that important to win things. But it was still unfair, too unfair it bites me after all these years. Though in retrospect, I have realized the beauty of fighting the system. I found adventure and youthful satisfaction in it. I would reccomend it to anyone as long as he can stand the "fear" of being beaten up or the risk of expulsion and flunking all subjects. I'm glad they took the star section system away but I am ironically surrendering to nostalgia this time. They shouldn't have done it on second thought, so that some hard-headed maverick can go through the things I did. I wished that High school wasn't an ephemeral experience. Back then, I hoped it lasted forever despite it all. It's cruel how I felt godly I was among creatures and how I valued my friends. Now I bet they all have their happy little lives intact and cliques untarnished but as for me, still alone with a bad case of recurring sour grapes that chokes my throat when it needs it.
I hope I can go through it all again only to set things straight and be on the edge once more. On the edge and doing the risky business thing again. All of it has passed everyone but me now. It's only reflected on an old piece of newspaper. A residual culture. Nobody can say "They hated the star section" after our batch, they all have to bear sitting next to these demi-gods and know it alls who drank promil when they were kids. Our time, my time has passed and I will never have the same struggles and fights as I had in High school. No more cause for the rebel. Nada y pues nada. I delight myself with affectations and college classroom debates that are more or less predetermined by our Dialectical Materialism and stuff like that. No more of the punk-ass grin and grimace I use to induce fear or irritation on the star studded people and co-writers at the school paper. I also use that to seduce budding freshmen beauties of our time, now they're all gone to college. I hate college even if I'm having the time of my life here. I am officially drunk too. Drunk with the thought I could kick everyone's ass. I actually have good grades right now and it hurts to notice that when I look over my shoulder, no one's applauding me.
I have just become like everyone of them. A crack on the wall where the ants live and that nobody tries to fix. I am it, a rusting tin soldier in between his wars. I can't wait for another fight. Throw a me a good one, old chap!
9:16 AM - LKSANTOS 2003 Book drive for annual homecoming
The LKSANTOS Batch 2003 of Diliman Prepartatory School (DPS) is currently holding a book drive for the high school library. A collection of 100-200 Filipino books is targetted by September 2006 in an effort to restore an interest in Literature by the students. Another purpose of this book drive is to sponsor a get-together event that can be meaningful as well. Organizers of this event are Jun Cristobal, Alwin Tomas and Jamie Patricio.
An assembly of all LKS batch 2003 Alumni will be conducted on the last week of May which will also serve as a "quasi" reunion of our batch.
The Book Drive, if proven a worthwhile and successful event will be an annual endeavor of our batch and thereby launching an Annual Homecoming on Campus.
Some of LKS2003's young and promising Alumni are Letran Student Council (President or vice-president) and former DPS student council president Alwin Jeehd Tomas, SEA Games Gold Medalist John Paul Lizardo, Three-time UAAP Gold Medalist, Gershon Bautista, two cadets at the Philippine Military Academy, a cadet at Sandhurst and five others currently studying at the University of the Philippines.
This same prolific batch will be the first one to initiate a "batch homecoming" that is yet to happen in Diliman. To join the LKS Batch in the book drive and to be invited at the Alumni Lunch with all LKS2003 members, bring a decent book by a Filipino Author or a Filipino resource material like a dictionary or encyclopedia. You don't even need to be a Dilimanian, so long as you believe in the Lope K. Santos spirit, "The father of Filipino Grammar", to whom the batch is honorably named after.
For Donations, contact 09276459069 or call 433 03 35. We will pick up your books personally or you can go to the event with the book in hand. The batch will also sponsor talks by famous Filipino writers on the said event.
Be updated about the dates of preparation on the event here at the lks website.
Without doubt, the finest finweight in the team right now is John Paul Lizardo who won the mens -54. kg. at the Cuneta Astrodome, Wednesday Morning. He won by a one point lead at crunchtime when his Vietnamese opponent could not keep up with Japoy's faster and well-meaning kicks.
Japoy may be a new face in showbiz, but, in the world of sports, he is considered as one of the best. At 18, Japoy already ranks as the number one in the flyweight junior division. In 2002, he got a silver in the prestigious US Taekwondo Open, followed by two golds in the National Taekwondo Competition a year after. He is a middle child in a brood of three. His real name is John Paul Lizardo.
A student at the De La Salle University where he is taking up a course in AB Sports Studies, Japoy is like any typical teenager who loves listening to R&B and acoustic music. He also plays the drums. His other favorite sports are scuba diving and basketball. He sings and dances.
Japoy's biggest dream is to win the elusive Olympic Gold for the country. He also dreams of owning his own gym where he can do his workout. (Some cropping from the Malaya Newspaper,October 29, 2004 )
Congratulations Pare! SEA Games today, Olympics tommorrow!
inset: For a guy who knows karate (a role Japoy plays in a short film by LKS2003), death is nothing but a mathematical formula
8:17 PM - Classmate John Paul Lizardo in the 2005 Manila SEA GAMES
And before you even ask again, Yes John Paul Lizardo is playing in the SEA Games, right now. So I won't go beating aroung the bush and I will just give you the schedule of his games. They are on, NOVEMBER 28-30 2005 at the CUNETA ASTRODOME. Bring friends and Family and enjoy the action of watching it live or on TV Via Sattelite on ABC 5.
If you're a blogger, you can download the banner and post it on your website.
After passing competitive tryouts and evaluations in sparring last October, John Paul Lizardo finally secured a slot in the RP Tae Kwon Do team. However, things didn’t turn out to be easy for him and his teammates as they went to rigorous training in Korea last summer along with an added military training.
Weighting 54 kg, Lizardo will be participating in the finweight category. Though this is the first SEA Games appearance, Lizardo already had many international exposures in hand such as the Korean Open, US Open and ASEAN Tae Kwon Do Games. As Lizardo is prepared to take his international experience to the SEA Games, hope is definitely strong for the RP Team.- greenarcher.yehey.com
Go Japoy, Go TEAM Philippines.
Sponsored by the: LKSANTOS 2003 U.P. Artist Circle Fraternity BLOGPINOY
"Japoy" Lizardo, representing the Philippines, is now a gold medalist in the fin weight category at the 23rd Southeast Asian Games 2005. Just 19 years of age, the third-year student at De la Salle University in Manila has garnered more medals since graduating from high school, and is currently our country's brightest prospect in the sport of taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) speaks exclusively to this rising star.
