Demystifying Plebehood: My Fondest Memories of Being a Dumb Guard (Part 6- The Regular Corps)

We started transferring to our new homes the day after our parents left. The corps had eight companies -from Alfa to Hawk and each company had its own barracks. The barracks where Florendo Hall and Regis Hall are is called the “City”, while Mayo Hall and Ramos Hall were in the “Barrio”. The City barracks were of course near the main PMA buildings such as the Lim Hall- where the top brasses hold their offices and the Melchor Hall- where classrooms are until now. The barracks in the barrio are much further away but they are near the gym, swimming pool, tennis court, firing range and Parents’ Park. The atmosphere there was basically like that of a barrio- laid back and close to nature

I went to Alfa Company together with my squadmates Romy N. (now a proud navy frogman or seal), and Edelfred M.. Roger O. (now a pilot) went to Echo; Reese (also a pilot now) became a Bravo Bull, while Mark Evan (who died in 1997), was a Hawk Hunter. I didn't know how they distributed us to the different companies but I was proud I was placed in Alfa. Alfans or Alfa Indians proudly brand themselves us the best company although others strongly dispute it, claiming theirs are the best. Alfa for them is just the base company but for Alfans, it goes like this:

Onward to the fields
The Alfans will win,
We will never give up nor retreat.
We are here to defend
The name of our team
With a great hope
To win in every game.
Onward Alfans brave
Beat the others and put them below.
Onward, Onward let us go,
Onward Alfans brave let us go!
La, la, la, la
Hey, Hey!

Entering a new barracks was like entering a lion’s den. This was what our buddy told us. That meant we had to be very careful because it was like a battle field out there. Trudge carefully. Watch your surroundings. Observe for any movement. Stop, look and listen, just like what you do before crossing the road. Crawl or dock if you need to so that you won’t be easily observed (unless you want misfortune to befall on you). Be like the wind. Be felt but don’t be seen. Work but be invisible. Be like elves at night. Make your presence felt without getting caught red- handed.

Our buddy told us that the barracks hallways are like ambush areas. They are dangerous for plebes. ‘Dangers’ lurk in every corner so be careful. Use the cover of darkness, of shadows. Live like a bug.

I didn’t know whether to take these advices seriously at first. I thought it was all just exaggeration- a ploy to scare us off or to weaken our morale. I didn’t want to take it literally because I had this inkling they were just making up stories. However, at the back of my mind, I told myself to just prepare and heed their advices to the letter. I wouldn’t lose anything anyway by listening to them. I would soon find out and experience for myself what our buddy was talking about.

That time, Alfa Company occupied the topmost floor of the Florendo Hall- a four-story building named after the late Brig. Gen. Oscar Florendo, PMA class of 1962. (A little browsing at Wikipedia.com would tell you that General Florendo died in a tragic encounter in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on March 4, 1990 during the Hotel Delfino siege. It was said that when suspended Cagayan governor Rodolfo "Agi" Aguinaldo  (PMA Class of 1972) and his armed men of 200 seized Hotel Delfino in Tuguegarao, General Florendo, his driver and four members of the civilian staff, and several other people were held hostage for several hours. A gunfight was launched to kill Aguinaldo and his men but one of the suspended governor's men was found dead in a checkpoint shootout. General Florendo and 12 others also died and 10 more were wounded. Aguinaldo was slightly wounded in a car gunfight but eventually escaped and hid into the mountains. He was later killed by suspected NPA hit men on June 12, 2001). Bravo Company was on the 3^rd floor while Delta Company was on the 2^nd floor. The 1^st floor was occupied by the female cadets and the members of the colors. With our entrance to the regular corps, its strength swelled to a record high since our class was the largest (by far) to enter the academy. All barracks were fully occupied since then.

There was an eerie silence when we entered the barracks for the first time. We just had a big duffel bag on our backs and a set of bathing paraphernalia (a pail and a dipper) so there was not much to bring to our new home. There and then I started to see and feel for myself what our buddy was talking about. His words seemed to echo inside my ears as I nervously but cautiously looked for the door with my name on it. I found it in no time, buti na lang. Soon, I began to hear familiar sounds- orders being barked from almost all corners of the barracks. “Make fast! Double time! Sixty- sixty! Why are you such as slow-moving creature? Why are you here? What company are you from? What is the best company? What is my name? What is the name of our Company Commander? Hurry up! Come here. Form here! Silence!” 

It sounded and felt like a real battlefield minus the bullets and explosions. In its place were the booming voices of the upperclassmen, all trying to confuse us, all trying to scare us. It was like Reception Day all over again. I told myself to just keep going and avoid being noticed. Amidst the familiar chaotic environment that day, I found myself mentally reciting the How Many Days: 

"Sir, there are_____days, ______hours, _____minutes, ______seconds, and___ticks and a but till (the end of plebehood). Oh, Noble Cataline, may the great God in Heaven speed them more quickly by the great God Jupiter and may the coming days be more joyous, but not for me, Sir! May your classes be no soirees, and your sorrows negligible, and on your leave, may there be some beautiful femmes, sandwiches, lots of scags, full moons,and plenty of coca-cola; hot darn; but not for me, Sir!"           

          That day ended with all of us settled in our new home. It was again like our first night at the gym. We did a lot of fixing, polishing, fixing, polishing and fixing again. We were in the regular corps already, in a regular barracks, in a regular cadet room. I was exhausted with all the fixing and cleaning I thought I had enough of orders that day although deep inside me, I know there will never be enough. I didn’t sleep well that night. It was just the beginning of another chapter. Each day was just another page I had to flip over for the next.