My Youth: The Final Post as Media, Society, and God
Being young is, traditionally, being underestimated or inexperienced by most of your older peers, and even by your own age bracket. I feel this. All of the time.
Ever since I failed to become an honor student, teachers and fellow students never expected something out of me other than graduating High School. In college, it’s the same thing, but I felt that it was already jaded too much that I said to myself “Nah. A lot of people happened to be in the position I am in, so why should I worry too much?”
But there was a significant change in my life.
Joining the two most practical organizations in UST isn’t just actually mere choice of org or what; I initially based myself on what will I learn from them, and eventually, how I would face the world with all that I have.
I admit: I’m an attention-hungry person.
But it all changed when I realized “Why should I grab the attention of others than being you? Why should I even care about it?”
Until I realized there’s a lot of things I can excel, maybe not in academics, though I should keep it top priority, and I could master it little by little. I found about Katolikong Pinoy, and I became active ever since.
But the inferiority complex remains, being the youngest of its five active Administrators. And with a background in media, since I’m a Communication Arts student, I feel that they’re expecting me to be more than just a Facebook admin, which a lot of people are taking for granted. Besides, some pages on Facebook are just nonsense.
Anyway, what I’m trying to tell you is that I feel blessed that I covered the final event of National Youth Day for an episode on our YouTube program “TSEKPoint”, currently on post-production. Being one of the admins is one great task. I thought most of our core members are available on that day; it turns out, only me and my fellow admin, Kuya Ryan Rayos, were there—the latter as part of the documentation staff on one of the festival sites on the recently concluded event, making me, technically, representing KP. There were also some friends whom I happened to meet at the Cuneta Astrodome: Kuya Mark Vertido, one of KP’s former admins who now works on the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth; and Paolo Cobangbang, O.P. from the Rosarian Youth Movement, the youth arm of the Company of St. Dominic in which I long to become part of.
I brought with me the Philippine flag which became the rally point of our members on that Pro-Life rally last March 25, expecting that some of them would come and join in the celebration. But the opposite happened. Actually, one of our fellow members tried to come, but he’s from Bulacan, so he told me he can’t make it, and I understood why.
Being alone out there was actually scary. Good thing I noticed Brother Paolo during the Mass before the event, especially in Communion where he kneeled in front of a priest in order to receive the Body of Christ. After the Mass, the areas near the delegates were opened for the non-delegates to buy food. I was one of those who took the opportunity to get in and interact with the delegates, as well as rendezvousing with Kuya Ryan and Kuya Mark. One of the people in the ECY, Ate Nirva, asked me “Papaano ka nakapasok dito?” taking into consideration that non-delegates are hands-off in the area where the stage is realistic, if you know what I mean. I answered her, “Ewan ko nga po eh! I found the gates open and hindi naman po ako nasita ng mga taga-security.” She replied: “You are meant to be here!”
Well, I was shocked when I heard it, since I never showed up in ECY’s prep and planning—actually, only once—due to my ma-trabahong subjects, as well as my other duties as an organization officer, a student, an admin of a more-than-125,000-likes-strong Facebook page, and as a son. The night went well for me though the setbacks. And besides, it does not matter. I can still catch up with the next NYD in Visayas, wishful thinking that I can finance my trip there. I’m still considered young until I reach 30. My mom told me “Bata ka pa. Marami ka pang opportunities para maging involved.” And I guess she was right all along. But I’m never too young to do extraordinary things out of ordinary circumstances.
This leads me to the last line of the chorus of NYD’s theme song this year: “We are never too young to come as one. We can make a stand!” For the record, I am one of the youngest affiliates in Filipinos for Life, a pro-life group behind the Facebook page “I Oppose the RH Bill”, aside from being the youngest KP Admin. I’m even invited to be part of the Manila South core group of Defensores Fidei Foundation, a non-profit apologetics organization in which my apologist idols, Fr. Abe Arganiosa and Atty. Marwil Llasos, O.P., are part of.
Too many expectations. Too many opportunities. I cannot turn them down, but since I’m still a college student, the best thing that I can consider is to postpone their offers if and when it will still be available in the near future. I’m still young. I should be making the most out of my youth without compromising my duties and interests, because, as they say: “minsan lang maging bata”.
