It’s been a while… I haven’t updated my blog. I was busy these past 2 months. I’ve been computing grades of my students of the 1st sem… buti na lang, lahat INC, kaya madali lang gawin… hehe. Then there was this programming competition (The 2005 Trend Micro P1M Tech Challenge [TMTC]) which had a deadline of submission set on October 15 for its elimination round. I had to stay overnite again (I’m nocturnal :P) in school with my warriors (Team IITians), coaching them, and even gave them lectures on TCP/IP networking. Even if we had so little time for coaching (3 of them are senior students doing their thesis and all of them are preparing for their final exams), it was okay with me. I remembered when they approached me [they formed a team first] and then asked me if I could be their coach, I said YES right away. Basta competition, I’m all for it.
Then came the deadline. Again, we stayed overnight in school (many thanks to their parents for allowing them). I reviewed my team’s entry and made sure it was worth submitting before I gave them a “go”. And then we just talked the night away after the submission because we’re not allowed to leave the school past midnight for security reasons.
Days had passed… Then came the announcement that we’re one of the top 10 finalists in the 2005 TMTC. Smiles were all over our faces. I said, “this is it!” Again, coaching nights… Why night time? because this was our only common free schedule to meet up. I did not force them to meet on specific schedules because they had other things to attend to (thesis, term projects, final exams, LOVE LIFE, etc.). I did not put any pressures on them baka kase bumagsak sila sa kanilang final exams at ang TMTC pa ang magiging dahilan. Wala lang, parang barkada lang turingan namin. We even cracked jokes (green even) when our minds went null and void.
Two weeks before the final round week, I had to leave for Manila to attend a curriculum development workshop based on open source software. I told them to continue practicing in our coaching hideout. When I came back, one of the team members withdrew… he had to attend another event which conflicted TMTC’s first day competition schedule. We wrote an appeal to the TMTC organizers but they denied it. So we let him decide, TMTC or the other event? He chose the other event. There was nothing I could do about his decision. I had to find a replacement. Then the name “John Michael Amparado” popped in my mind. He was my student in CSc 101. He got a 1.0 in my class 
And then the team was complete again.
One day in our coaching hideout, I asked them how they were doing. They just gave me smiles… The following week was the final round. On our last coaching day, I gave them their individual assignments. Lyle took the code integration part (he was my thesis advisee. His thesis output was an IM system [ala Y!M, and made with VB] to be used in our online learning environment. That’s why I’m confident on his TCP/IP sockets programming skills [a requirement in the TMTC] which he learned when he was doing his thesis), Stephen was the web interface architect (this guy has all the talent we needed in the web component development, aesthetic wise), Joel and Niño were the system modules programmers (our tech supporters and chick hunters [pero hanggang tingin lang, mga super TORPEdos kase, LOL]), and John (the Belgian boy and our PR manager, hehe) who is the youngest and since he is just starting to learn VB, I assigned him the documentation/presentation which is also a very important part of the competition. I told them that in the systems analysis and design, it should be a group effort.
Then came the final round week. I just told them to do their best and give the other teams a good fight! Before their cellphones were taken for safe-keeping (no communication during contest period, ala PBB), I texted Lyle to watch over his teammates (hit them if he must, jk :)) and say their prayers everytime. After that, I had no idea what they were doing inside the venue (Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila) because coaches were not allowed to go in during the contest period. I just stayed in my brother’s house, at the same time, monitoring the events in the Iligan City Computing Fair (ICCF). I was the chair of the ICCF Programming Competition committee. Good thing, Haroun and my other colleagues, managed to conduct the competition without any problems. I had to leave them because of the TMTC.
After the TMTC competition period of more than 48 hours, I texted John, asking how’s the competition. I just received, “ok ra man sir, we survived. hehehe”.
The following day was the awarding ceremony. I woke up early and left my brother’s house. When I arrived at the venue, I texted Lyle and asked him to accompany me inside. When I went inside the ballroom, there were a lot of people. Then the program started. We just waited for the big announcement of who’s going to win. When the 3rd place and 2nd place winners were announced, I just looked at my team with a smile. I never expected them to win. But when it was announced that our team was the champion, we all jumped. Then went to the stage and received our trophies and the P1M check (bigger version). I thought I was dreaming. The funny thing was, my sister-in-law told me the night before that I should wear formal shoes during the awarding, just in case, we will win and get interviewed (LOL). But I did not listen. I wore my Merrell shoes instead.
The next day, we strolled along Roxas Blvd and went to Star City and Baywalk. We ate dinner and had some halu-halo there. I think the halu-halo triggered this common cold and fever I am having right now Then we flew back to Mindanao the following day. Home sweet home. [We were not able to go to Enchanted Kingdom (as planned) because it was too expensive to rebook their tickets (P1,100/head), hehe. We did not have P5,500 to spare].
Our victory came as a surprise, even to myself because this is the first time that MSU-IIT joined in the TMTC. Maybe that’s also the reason why many of my friends asked me, “How did you do it?”. I just answered them, “Well, it just so happened that I have the right students with me for this competition. They have the ability, the attitude, and they’re determined. When I tell them to study this and that, they do it. When I give lectures, they listen and they also bring out their ideas. They’re all teamplayers, they complement each other and they have established friendship. And they’re aware of the very limited time we have :)”
THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS FOR BRINGING MORE GLORY AND HONOR TO OUR SCHOOL! YOU ARE TRULY MSU-IIT’s MAGIC 5 (Team IITians is the only team with 5 members. All the rest have 6)!
Go IITians!
Learn. Compete. Inspire. ™
(L-R: Stephen Haim, Joel Michael Bersano, Niño Bonita, The Coach, Abner Lyle Medio, and John Michael Amparado)
(Team IITians with the honorable mayor of Iligan City, Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz and city officials. They gave us Certificates of Recognition during their Flag Ceremony at Anahaw Amphitheater, Iligan City)
