Pisay
Tina
Of course, I can’t resist writing about the movie that took place in my own alma mater. This was originally shown at CCP as one of the entries of Cinemalaya 2007. My plane just landed, but I went straight from the airport to CCP to watch it. I can’t help but feel proud that this film is winning international film awards. Oh yeah.
This movie tells us the tale of a group of Pisay students in the 80s, near the time of the EDSA Revolution. This movie was directed by Auraeus Solito, a Pisay alumnus himself (Batch 86). One of the main characters, Liway, is also a Pisay alumna (Shayne Fajutagana, Batch 07). I was surprised myself when I saw my former students in the film.
So how do I find the film? I love it. It gives a sneak peak of the Pisay experience, and I found it amusing that for each character in the film, I could find a counterpart in our own batch. This is also true according to some of my friends from other batches. This is some proof that Pisay students think alike, in some sense. I was a bit surprised myself. Haha. But what separated it from our own Pisay experience perhaps was the fact that this took place at the latter part of Martial Law.
The movie was divided into four smaller parts, one for each school year. It gives us a peak on how the characters developed during their four years of stay in Pisay, amid the political crisis back in the early 80’s. It was only then that I realized that Pisay was also one of the schools who fought back during the Martial Law. According to Jun Sabug (a Pisay alumnus), the last two schools to be reopened after declaring Martial Law were UP (well, that’s a given) and PSHS. Wow.
First year. The students, fresh from their elementary years, were so used to the fact that they are the best. And indeed, some of them will tend to look down on the students who are called “alternates”: students who failed to make it to the quota, but was able to get in because some students forfeited their slots. But this usually stops at the end of the first quarter exams. Most students realize that they are “average” now that they have classmates who are also like them. Sometimes, even the alternates dominate the academic scene.
Second year. Supposed to be the most difficult year of the Pisay experience. And yes, some failed to adjust to the Pisay environment, and they are kicked-out from the school if they do not meet the required grade. It might be a bit harsh, given that there are so many reasons why a student will not pass a particular subject. But that’s the way Pisay works. They are being paid to get the best Science and Mathematics education in the country, so they have to work hard for it. And I would also agree that some students who were kicked out from Pisay did well in their respective schools. They might have been kicked out of Pisay, but it does not follow that they are bad students, academically speaking. It’s just not meant for them to be in Pisay.
Third year. This is the year before the EDSA Revolution. The story is now politically motivated, as the character of Liway was introduced. Liway is the daughter of a political activist, and is good in Social Sciences but not good in Chemistry. She was paired to Andy, who is good in Chemistry. At first, they are annoyed with each other because they are forced to work together, but eventually, they came to understand each other. Love was just beginning to blossom when Liway was forced to leave for the Netherlands, because his father had to hide from Marcos.
Fourth year. Students were beginning to think of their plans for the future. We strongly suspect that this part is the life story of Auraeus himself. As Pisay students, we are forced to take a Science or Engineering course in college because of a contract we signed before entering Pisay. This was the subject of a lot of debate among Pisay students, and I even remember an article written by Jessica Zafra about it. What if during the course of your Pisay experience, you realize that you are not meant for a Science or Engineering course? But we all know Auraerus’ response to that question. He made Euri take Theater Arts instead of Biology.
It’s amazing to hear my adviser’s stories about Pisay. He’s a batchmate of Auraeus, and they did have a batchmate who had to leave for the Netherlands. They also had a batchmate who died because of cancer and did not graduate. And in fact, this movie was dedicated to that batchmate of theirs.
Posted on: Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 11:19 pm 
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