ALLAN THE MAN

Just a few days ago, another edition of Pinoy Big Brother Teen has been started. They presented a new batch of teen housemates who will live for a couple of months in the most-popular house in the country. So, without further ado, Here's an interesting story of a teacher and her 'PBB hopeful' students 

By Jocy L. So-Yeung

HAS there been an epidemic? One day, all of the sudden, nearly a dozen students from the third year batch were absent. What happened?

The classmates grinned in response. "Nag-audition for PBB Ma'am." PBB of course is Pinoy Big Brother, the monster reality TV hit that places ordinary people in one residence, forces them to undergo unrealistic stunts, and allows the whole Philippines to watch their every move. I don't follow PBB but I know many who hound each episode like a starving dog chasing a bone.

And based on their stories, I was apprehensive upon knowing plenty of my students wanted to be in the show. A former student had already appeared on the show once, and she ended up being betrayed by a friend and looking mean and petty on TV. She was voted off, leaving the PBB house in an air of unpopularity.

Rabid watchers also tell me that the show's God-like kuya make housemates do uncomfortable things, from dancing with not a stitch of clothing on except a fan to downing liquor until they're drunk, just to stir up controversies and improve ratings.

Moreover, though Dabawenyo Ruben Gonzaga won the Celebrity Edition way back when, most participants from Davao seem to end up cast in a contrabida role, hated by housemates or by voters.

I shuddered to think of what would happen to my students if Direk Dyogi would cast them in the show. What would they do or say under the conditions of the Big Brother House? Would they enjoy being the pawn of a money-churning TV machine? Would they do anything kuya says, even if it is against their principles? How would people perceive them and how would that affect them? Would they be able to hold themselves with dignity and integrity under the glare of 24-hour public scrutiny? Would they end up ok after such an experience? It's scary!

Thus, when one student piped up in the middle of a class writing activity to inform everyone that a classmate was going through her audition RIGHT NOW, and asked if we could all pray for her, I only said, "You can all pray quietly on your own if you want to, but class will not be disrupted for PBB."

"But Ma'am, don't you have dreams also? It's their dream to be in PBB!? True. One student had almost burst into tears upon sharing how she really, really, really hopes to be a housemate. Another, a stellar honor student, had told me that she wants to be in showbiz. I knew they were serious. Being absent without a valid excuse would mean automatic zero in class activities and quizzes. And since PBB auditions do not qualify as a valid excuse in our school, their auditioning entailed a great sacrifice.

But. As much as I wanted to support my students in their dreams, as much as I admired them for trying to fulfill their dreams, I just could not bring myself to ask the whole class pray to God that they get into PBB. A career in entertainment might be a great aspiration, but as a teacher, I don't want my students to give up their education for a chance at the limelight.

I also did not want others to think that just because the dream involved a popular TV show, possible fame and showbiz exposure, that I would rally the whole class to pray for their success. What about the dreams of other students?

We've had students be absent to play in a golf tournament or represent the school in a regional math competition and no classmate had ever piped up in the middle of class to ask everyone to pray for them. Why would the PBB hopefuls be any different?

“Pray for your friends, if you want. Pray that God's will be done," I said. "And then, please continue answering your sheets. You have 15 minutes left to do your work."

The next day, the PBB dreamers were back in class. One almost got through the second round of auditions had she not intentionally bombed the Q and A portion. When asked why, she just said, she was tired and was afraid of missing another whole day of school. She shared that they had to stand for hours waiting until late into the night and when it was her turn to talk, Direk Dyogi did not seem even remotely interested in listening to her. So, she quit. Just like that.

Direk Dyogi missed out on a fantastic housemate. She would have been perfect. Articulate, sharp and forthright. Part of me was bummed she did not go through the entire process to see her dream through, but part of me was relieved she chose to prioritize her education. I was glad she chose to find another way to reach her showbiz dreams. She took charge of her dreams. Being a PBB housemate would mean being controlled by a voice, but by quitting in her own terms, she chose to be her own person. Now that's one dream I would hope all my students pray for.

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