The CAT-I Experience

It was Tuesday, March 29, 2005, when I found out that CAT-I Commandant, Mr. Gordon Cation requires all YS-11 students to write a five hundred-word essay about the CAT-I experience for clearance. By then, I thought a five hundred-word essay would obviously be long and hard to write about. But then I remembered all those experiences I have had and thought, ‘what would cause me to be caught up in a hassle in writing about it?’.

“This is batch is different. Ngayon lang nangyari ito sa buong history ng CAT”, quoted Mr. Cation when only 10 out of 260 YS-10 learners attended the CAT-I orientation during the last few school days last school year. A lot of reasons and excuses came up when this news broke out. All of us (well, almost) were complaining that one can’t just announce that ‘there will be an orientation/meeting on this time, at that place… yada yada yada…’ on that very day, just like that, which is so true. We still have to ask permission from our parents that we are going home late because of a certain occasion and still have to wait for their approval. What if they say no because of some reason and we can’t go home anymore because the bus has already left (wherein by the time we get home, they’ll scold us for not getting home early), or they (parents) are already outside to fetch us. Some were complaining that they already have something planned for the afternoon, and it can’t be cancelled just like that. This incident showed the reluctance of the batch about CAT, and that, includes me.

The inclination towards CAT grew even more during the reception. This was our first training day. This was our first taste of hardship, of grueling body pain, of co-students yelling at us to do what they want. Yes, many of us wanted to say something, to complain that this shouldn’t go on, that it was social injustice -and all that drama in between. I for myself just wanted to quit. But nobody complained, and I didn’t quit. Still curious on what’s in store for us, -for me- during the next training days; I went on and attended it as if it was a day of worship. Training days went on and passed by. There were drills, lectures, a lot of stuff to memorize, and tests. These days, didn’t change my being reluctant. In fact, I somehow hated it even more.

But my reluctance evolved and I started to like the trainings when the practice for the first activity -the Inter-Platoon- began. This was when Charlie-II, my platoon, forged friendships that last until this day. They became my reason for attending. The laughter and amusement we had became an enjoyable reason to work a little harder and exert a little more effort for the Inter-Platoon. I guess our attempts weren’t good enough because we didn’t win first place. But it was fine with all of us. We know that the important thing is the bonding that we had because of the preparation for the competition. We bagged some awards, all of them I already forgot, like our platoon leader Ma’am K-Anne (she received several awards, I think, and I can’t remember what about), even I, for one, received a gold medal for a test I can’t seem to recall what.
Another activity was the La Naval procession wherein we walked several blocks away from the school/church while praying the rosary. In spite of the sore feet, sweaty backs, dry throats and the desire to go on a detour to Mc Donald’s Banawe, we were all thankful that it didn’t rain (for the first time in years!), nothing bad happened and everything went well. (By the way, after which event I was inflicted with chicken pox.) Several training days went by and it became a little boring. We did nothing but stand at attention and stare at the space in front us. It certainly didn’t make us happy.

Then there were the physical trainings, which took place in preparation for the upcoming bivouac, which seemed to enliven things up (it became a reason for the attendance to go notches down though). Body aches and sore arms and legs, became the norm during those days. But despite of this exhausting activity, it was ok for all of because it is in preparation for the bivouac. That’s why some felt sad when the bivouac was cancelled and was said to be rescheduled due to the raging storm. I became sad because this was the day my dad decided not to let me go to the bivouac. Everything was prepared already and I so wanted to go because I know I will be missing a huge event. It was then rescheduled the day after the Christmas party and I just stayed home. Although I was happy that I don’t have to go through all that exhaustion, and that I was in the comforts of my home, with my own soft bed and fluffy pillows, I was still aware that I was missing a lot. ‘Oh well’ was all that I could ever say.

After that activity was the Inter-Company which was like, just some sort of a must-because-it’s-a-tradition and not really something we got serious about. Maybe because we know that after that, we’ll be graduates of CAT-I and it will be the end of all that.
Ah, the graduation. Who could ever forget that? A graduation where everybody became first batch graduates, since there’s no second, without having to go through the hassle of finishing the major subjects. (Too bad it wasn’t the real thing but anyway…) It was a graduation where we don’t have white togas to wear but heavy rifles to carry. A graduation where we don’t actually receive something in return (like a diploma of some sort), but instead, we receive the pride of being part of it. A certain feeling where we finally come to realize that after all the complaints and reluctance we had at first, we have garnered something, an experience that we know we are going to remember. A sentiment no other word could ever describe, as Mr. Cation would say, it is simply, priceless.

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This afternoon, I will be graduating from high school. right now, I want to write something about this day, but there are too many thoughts in my head and I can't seem to figure out how to begin. next time nalang I guess...