Presentation of Sponsors
Citizen's Army Training Lilo-an National High School
February 1, 2003

Every youth who have passed high school have gone through preparatory military training. During our time, that was decades ago, it was called PMT (Preparatory Military Training). Today it is called CAT (Citizen's Army Training). Only the name changed. Same concepts, same drills. I presume the idea is to instill discipline on the youth to be good citizens, preferably good citizens with training in military discipline. Every high school has CAT in its curriculum.

On January 31, 2003 I was invited as the guest speaker at the Presentation of Sponsors of the CAT of Lilo-an National High School. The Lilo-an National High School is the first public high school in Malinao founded some 23 years ago. Its campus is located on a hill about a kilometer from the plaza of Lilo-an. Because of its location and its relative inaccessibility, many potential students from Lilo-an and surrounding barrios would rather enroll at the Malinao School for Philippine Craftsmen in the poblacion. Present enrollment of LNHS is about 200 students.

There are no parade grounds in the campus of the LNHS so the presentation of sponsors was held at the Lilo-an plaza. The program is supposed to start at 1:00 p.m. as stated in the printed program. The participants maybe ready by that time but they could not start because I was late. I have to attend to my birthday celebration - a day before my actual birthday of February 1 - which the municipal employees have suggested because it was a Friday and many would not be able to attend on a Saturday. And so the presentation of sponsors started at 1:45 p.m. A 45 minute delay is normal for this kind of affair.

For a small high school, the LNHS has prepared a very special presentation of sponsors. All the elements for such a program were present. There were the speeches, the parade, the pinning of ribbons and sashes, the marching of the band, the inspection of troops by the guests, the photo sessions. The whole barrio folks came out in full force to witness the presentation as this is indeed a special occasion for the barrio.

As in all affairs in the barangays where the mayor is invited there is food afterwards. And so we partook of the prepared food at the Barangay Hall. Since I have not seen the school site of the LNHS I insisted to go there after we have eaten. Together with the Barangay captain, Billy Ituriaga and the head teacher, Susan Domingo, we motored to the hill north of the plaza. It is a high place from where the lowlands could be seen and even the communication towers and the coastline of Panay could be observed. Making a tour of the campus, my cellphone rang ­ my son Christian is calling from the poblacion because my guests have arrived for another round of celebration for my birthday. This time the venue was home. I had to leave Lilo-an in haste.

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