March Madness

Wheww! I don't know how will I start this. I'm still in the state of shock after all the happenings that transpired 3 days ago. Well, Saturday, March 21, was indeed a busy day not only for me but for the entire Pagcor family. BIDA March, a project of Chairman Genuino in cooperation with DepEd, was expected to post a new record for the most number of people participated on an Anti-drug campaign. This is definite but what we're gonna do is a big question mark. Days leading to the event, everybody were still in limbo as to what to do and where to go. It was then finalized that most of the girls will be assigned to take care of food distribution and others will be posted at the registration booths. Almost 80% of the boys composed the transport group.

Our group was tapped to dispatch vehicles from Valenzuela area. I woke up at around 5:30 a.m. since the site is closer to my homebase. AGA boys were divided into three. Notty, Jets, Dennis, Rick, Lito, Jeff, Jun & Tolits were assigned in one area. Sev, Doc and myself tooked care of another school (sorry, it's name slipped in my mind at the moment). Boyet was left all alone to supervise Wawang Pulo Elementary school. Cutting the story short, we dispatched a total of 75 buses and 18 jeepneys carrying an estimated 60 persons each (kids & adults) for bus and an average of 14 per jeepney. We have successfully done our part but what were not prepared for are the events that would follow.

The original plan is that the kids would be dropped at CCP Complex and marched towards Luneta Grandstand. The vehicles would then proceed to Dubai (site of Bagong Nayong Filipino) to wait. After the event, several buses would fetched the kids and returned them to Dubai where their assigned vehicles waited for them. But everything turned out just a plan. Confusion on where to get the drivers payment surfaced. Without food and drinks, do we expect them to politely conversed with us? As temper escalated, many of Pagcorians decided to change their shirt to protect themselves against eering drivers. A colleague who was assigned at Tondo Elementary School needed to run as angry drivers tried to put a hand on him. Another was held "hostage" as drivers wanted him to stay and will only be freed once they got their due. Navotas team, majority of whom are my close friends, can't get out of Dubai as drivers decided to park their jeepneys in front of our Dubai office. Our very own Boyet,who at passed 11:00 p.m., was still circling around MOA helping kids find their other companions. Were just thankful that we've already left Dubai before both parties clashed.

It was indeed a unique experienced for us. It may be tiring & exhausting day but the element of laughter will always be there. Take it from the words of Doc, moments after learning that his son is also missing. "San ka? Magkita tayo. Nakikita mo ba yung dyip?

He,he. Relaks Doc, relaks!