PHISIKLABAN 2009

by Poch Morales, PHI '09

The weather seemed ominous upon looking up at the grey-tinted clouds hovering above and feeling the cool monsoon winds blow through PAGKALMA. Heavy droplets landed on the asphalt, exponentially increasing in frequency, and this was tantamount to danger for the activity to come.

The planning of the program and logistics of the PHIsiklaban event by brods Leonil Ferdinand Arizobal Sembrano and Ardynne Martin Corcelles Mallari and sisses Amanda Estrellado Esquivel and Patricia Anne Nicole (?) Ramirez had been made to be in order so that the acceptance of the new brods and sisses into the PHI community could be properly celebrated. A medley of games and dares had been orchestrated for everyone’s enjoyment, as well as to get to know each other more closely. However, the fete was now at the mercy of something far beyond human hands.

By some act of divine intervention, the rains had come to a stop as the hour of the celebration came close. The sun shone brightly on a group of beautiful sisses at the registration table who graciously welcomed the guests. One could not help but feel that this was going to be one great afternoon.

And it was. Around 40 brods and 30 sisses attended and joined the festivities. Four teams were made, each composed of a myriad of brods and sisses from various PHI batches. The games aptly put to the test the brods’ and sisses’ qualities of a PHI: creativity through the dressing up of a team mascot and the creation of their team cheer, memory and instinct through a head-to-head match of identifying each other, bravery through chugging down unconventionally prepared food and drinks, strength through a competition of tug-of-war, spatial orientation through a treasure hunt adventure and a game of doctor quack quack, and teamwork through an assorted relay of groups within a team. Indeed, there was a mood of competition in the air, but not without a sense of team unity and the desire to do one’s best for his or her team. The losing teams eagerly accepted the consequence of performing one’s own barugan reflex which was electrifyingly received by all.

Upon watching the barugan reflexes of the losing teams and those of the junior brods and sisses, one could not help but to be in awe at the camaraderie surrounding everyone. Each and every PHI supported one another whether it may be in times of joy or of need. This festive ambience was the true face of the PHI community and it was nothing like what had been portrayed during the initiations a week ago. It felt like home. It was like family. And the junior brods and sisses had now become a part of this family.

Looking up at the skies, what had been earlier gloomy is now very sunny. And upon seeing everyone’s smiles, no one seemed to care about the weather, because at that moment and forevermore, we are one.