Fair Play: Horror Stories from the DepEd Cypt
IT WAS 12 years and 364 days ago when we spent three nights and four days during our Unit Meet in South Cotabato camping near a cemetery.
Since it was a Department of Education Culture and Sports (now the DepEd) organized meet, we knew we would be in for a rough stay so one of the guys brought a tent since we knew there wouldn’t be enough room in the quarters. But, we forgot to bring any flashlights or lamp and Barrio Cinco at 8 p.m. could get really dark.
“Why not steal some candles?” a teammate suggested. “They won’t be needing them anyway.”
It was Nov. 2, and there were still lit candles at the cemetery, just a spit away from our tent. So, like commandos, a few teammates (one is now a real commando with the Philippine Army) snuck out to steal some candles on our first night.
The next night, half the team snuck out for a few bottles of Gold Eagle, it was the only one available, and entertained ourselves with ghost stories and jokes.
“What if along the way, we’d meet the lower half of a manananggal?...What if she’s got really, really sexy legs…is it a freebie?”
Twelve years is a long time but, with all the horror stories I’ve been hearing of DepEd meets, not much has changed. I played in South Cotabato, and I hear the same stories here.
Back then, we always complained why our delegation’s officials always get the best quarters, while we get the “maguwang ra sa tangkal.” We always ask, “Nga-a? Mahampang man sila bwas?”
Referees then were a joke, after that night’s beer-session, we thought we were still drunk when we got to the venue—it was a freshly-harvested basakan—and learned there was only one official. He didn’t know he had to have linesmen. In Cviraa 2007, a referee, in the middle of the game, asked to be subbed, because he had to go to the CR.
And of course there is the schedule. A footballer’s career, it seems, is never complete without a DepEd schedule horror story. One time, when we learned we had to play three games in six hours, we all asked, “Unsa? Pamatyon ta nila?”
In the 2007 Palaro, while checking the football schedule, a team, after losing its third match, had to play five matches in the next two days to win the title. Don Bosco College played three games in one morning during the 2006 Palaro, while two games a day is normal for the high school team. (Luckily, the players had a masseuse courtesy of some of the players’ parents.)
Age cheating? When we were in elementary, our baseball players were told to memorize new names and new birthdays. In Palaro 2006, a college freshman played elementary baseball, while closer to home, a runner from San Nicolas Elementary School was discovered to be three years over the age limit during this year’s Milo Olympics. Meaning, in last year’s Cebu City Olympics he was already two years over the limit.
It’s Nov. 1, and it means the Cebu City Olympics, a DepEd meet, is just around the corner. After the Cebu City Olympics, it’s the Cviraa, then the Palarong Pambansa. I wonder what this season’s horror stories will be?
QUE HORROR? While searching online for Palaro rules (google Palarong Pambansa + playing years), I got a link to an interesting file—the Regional Pess Chiefs’ Assessment Report on the Palaro 2008 (draft) done at Splash Mountain Resort in Laguna.
Among the negative points listed in the draft were the non-observance of the schedule of the tournament managers (TMS) and the late issuance of the schedule, and among the plus points were “Contentment, joy and fulfillment were evident in the faces of the TMS and Officiating Officials as they did their job (It kinda contradicts the one above, don’t you think?),” and “the wonderful experience in Dos Palmas by the PESS Chiefs.”
And my favorite? Recommendation 7.5 “A memorandum to limit the inclusion of people who join the delegation just to see the place should be issued.”
Do I hear someone say junket?
Since it was a Department of Education Culture and Sports (now the DepEd) organized meet, we knew we would be in for a rough stay so one of the guys brought a tent since we knew there wouldn’t be enough room in the quarters. But, we forgot to bring any flashlights or lamp and Barrio Cinco at 8 p.m. could get really dark.
“Why not steal some candles?” a teammate suggested. “They won’t be needing them anyway.”
It was Nov. 2, and there were still lit candles at the cemetery, just a spit away from our tent. So, like commandos, a few teammates (one is now a real commando with the Philippine Army) snuck out to steal some candles on our first night.
The next night, half the team snuck out for a few bottles of Gold Eagle, it was the only one available, and entertained ourselves with ghost stories and jokes.
“What if along the way, we’d meet the lower half of a manananggal?...What if she’s got really, really sexy legs…is it a freebie?”
Twelve years is a long time but, with all the horror stories I’ve been hearing of DepEd meets, not much has changed. I played in South Cotabato, and I hear the same stories here.
Back then, we always complained why our delegation’s officials always get the best quarters, while we get the “maguwang ra sa tangkal.” We always ask, “Nga-a? Mahampang man sila bwas?”
Referees then were a joke, after that night’s beer-session, we thought we were still drunk when we got to the venue—it was a freshly-harvested basakan—and learned there was only one official. He didn’t know he had to have linesmen. In Cviraa 2007, a referee, in the middle of the game, asked to be subbed, because he had to go to the CR.
And of course there is the schedule. A footballer’s career, it seems, is never complete without a DepEd schedule horror story. One time, when we learned we had to play three games in six hours, we all asked, “Unsa? Pamatyon ta nila?”
In the 2007 Palaro, while checking the football schedule, a team, after losing its third match, had to play five matches in the next two days to win the title. Don Bosco College played three games in one morning during the 2006 Palaro, while two games a day is normal for the high school team. (Luckily, the players had a masseuse courtesy of some of the players’ parents.)
Age cheating? When we were in elementary, our baseball players were told to memorize new names and new birthdays. In Palaro 2006, a college freshman played elementary baseball, while closer to home, a runner from San Nicolas Elementary School was discovered to be three years over the age limit during this year’s Milo Olympics. Meaning, in last year’s Cebu City Olympics he was already two years over the limit.
It’s Nov. 1, and it means the Cebu City Olympics, a DepEd meet, is just around the corner. After the Cebu City Olympics, it’s the Cviraa, then the Palarong Pambansa. I wonder what this season’s horror stories will be?
QUE HORROR? While searching online for Palaro rules (google Palarong Pambansa + playing years), I got a link to an interesting file—the Regional Pess Chiefs’ Assessment Report on the Palaro 2008 (draft) done at Splash Mountain Resort in Laguna.
Among the negative points listed in the draft were the non-observance of the schedule of the tournament managers (TMS) and the late issuance of the schedule, and among the plus points were “Contentment, joy and fulfillment were evident in the faces of the TMS and Officiating Officials as they did their job (It kinda contradicts the one above, don’t you think?),” and “the wonderful experience in Dos Palmas by the PESS Chiefs.”
And my favorite? Recommendation 7.5 “A memorandum to limit the inclusion of people who join the delegation just to see the place should be issued.”
Do I hear someone say junket?
Comments
Don Bosco won the 2006 Elementary Palaro after playing 3 straight games in 6 hours during the tailend of a typhoon at Naga City. This after playin 2 games the previous day.
In 2007, Don Bosco managed a runnerup finish against San Carlos City in the same category after playing 2 straight games.
In 2008, Don Bosco had a healthier and safer run to the Palaro championship, but the runnerups had to play 4 games in 2 days.
The officiating ? In the CVIRAA and Palaro, PE teachers will again blow the whistles. That 2006 incident when the referee stopped the game so he can go to the CR is still being told and laughed at these days. In the City Olympics, the referees that the Tournament Manager usually gets knows only one thing - make sure the team of the tournament manager wins. That means a free ride (junket?) to the CVIRAA and Palaro for everyone. Plus the standard "brown envelope from the tournament manager). Good thing the team of the tournament manager is banned for this year.
The "organizing committee"? These are teachers - not sportsmen. These are people who have no idea what safety in sports is. These are people who are instructed to finish the games within a specific number of days or else they will have to spend the contingency fund. Which means lesser share of the excess funds for those who can get it. Quite ironic, since they are supposed to be educators, symbols of integrity, the people who molds the future leaders of the country. Shucks, one look at the football coach of Abellana and one wonders how we get our DepEd teachers.
Bai Mike, kahibaw ba ka sa dakong uwaw nga nahitabo didto sa San Carlos City? ANS purposely lost it's last game because they wanted to get a weaker bracket/group of opponents in the playoffs. During the game, the players were told not to play hard since they were already into the next round. The instruction was heard by those behind the bench of ANS. Many called out "nga duwa-a lang og tarong kay basin madisgrasya sa goal difference". What happened was the coach miscalculated his team's goal difference so they were told later in the evening that they got eliminated. Gihimong kataw-anan ang ANS didto.
I'll write a followup in this column, I remember I wrote an editorialized report in 2001, when the referee bungled a call against Cebu City in Cviraa elementary football that goes along that irony. One important trait of a teacher, nga pirmi idukduk sa DepED, dapat innovative. Asa naman ning innovative sa mga sporting meets nila? Innovative sa pagjunket?
Wa ko kadungog nahitabo San Carlos City, unsaon man, naibot naman ta sa football. Kung tinuod na, nakarma na ang ANS. Ila na ganing gimatik-matik, nasayop pa gyud. TAnawa.
Sa among kwentakwenta mao ni ang rason.Sa sinugdanan man gud ang organizers sa pag-imbetar nila sa mga teams mihtag og subsidy nga P24,000.00 para naa gyoy incentives ug kasiguroan nga moapi god ang mga teams. Ang mga teams nay bahala og puno sa kuwang basta goog for the whole duration of the tournament. Luoy mi sa ilang mga bata kay maglakaw intawon gikan sa ilang quarters kon motan-aw sa duwa. Layolayo baya ang Tandang Sora Elem. School padung Centr Mall. Karon kintahay na-eliminate sila sa 3rd day mamauli gyod sila. Karon asa na man ang sobra sa subsidy? Seguro nakakuha pa god to siya og sponsors? Asa pa kon dili sa bulsa.
Kahibawo na gyod mi anang iang pmaagi bisan dia ra mi diri.
Hinaut nga imbestigahon ni sa inyong FA para mahunong na ning mga buhata. Luoy kaayo ilang mga players.
Sa among kwentakwenta mao ni ang rason.Sa sinugdanan man gud ang organizers sa pag-imbetar nila sa mga teams mihtag og subsidy nga P24,000.00 para naa gyoy incentives ug kasiguroan nga moapil god ang mga teams. Ang mga teams nay bahala og puno sa kuwang basta goog for the whole duration of the tournament. Luoy mi sa ilang mga bata kay maglakaw intawon gikan sa ilang quarters kon motan-aw sa duwa. Layolayo baya ang Tandang Sora Elem. School padung Centr Mall. Karon kintahay na-eliminate sila sa 3rd day mamauli gyod sila. Karon asa na man ang sobra sa subsidy? Seguro nakakuha pa god to siya og sponsors? Asa pa kon dili sa bulsa.
Kahibawo na gyod mi anang iang pmaagi bisan dia ra mi diri.
Hinaut nga imbestigahon ni sa inyong FA para mahunong na ning mga buhata. Luoy kaayo ilang mga players.
Ask any DepEd teacher and he/she will verify that. Don't ask a DepEd official because they will deny that. As of this very moment, the same policy still stands. Those who cannot further their studies and get a masteral degree can opt to volunteer for sports meet duties and get a certain amount of credits that could be used when the time comes that they will have a "performance rating". I am not sure about the proper term for this, but this is basically the concept. An increase in their "performance rating" can lead to a rise in position, a better teaching position, and an increase in salary scale.
DepEd allows this because they accept the fact that not all teachers has the opportunity and the time to further their studies or participate in a continuing program of education (CPE).
Unfortunately, DepEd gives credits just for the mere act of participating in these meets. They don't consider how these DepEd teachers PERFORM in these meets. Coaches get something extra if their team or athlete wins, but that's about it. It's a "reward" program based on participation and not on performance. That's why officiating is below par.
Ambot ning ANS didto sa San Carlos. After the game, we asked the players nganong nagpa-pilde sila nga wala pa ma'y sure ang standings kay murang duol ra kaayo ang sa goal difference. Matud sa mga players, na kwente man kuno sa ilang coach unya safe sila. Tanawa ra, na disgrasya na hinuon. Gi himo na hinuon silang kataw-anan. Na pugos pa gani og istar didto for one more night kay wala ka sakay sa last trip.
There isn't even an officiating assessor or officer. They just have a tournament organizer and he/she has the last say on everything. If one has an officiating complaint, the TM will just tell you that it was a judgement call. This is not "Fair Play" by any chance. Heck, our very own tournament manager in past city olympics doesn't even have the delikadesa to turn over the coaching reigns to a subordinate. He's at the field doing the actual coaching.
Attention CFA, kinahanglan nga inyo ning imbestigahon kay luoy kaayo ang iyang mga players nga maoy naghago unya si Itom ray nadato.