The Bar Operations 2011 Experience: Day 1

This has been my first time ever to experience as a bar operator and this was the only administration of the Supreme Law Student Council of MSU – College of Law Iligan Extension that I have witnessed a successful event of assisting the bar examinees. It’s where for four Sundays in the month of November, different batches of five law students coming from various fraternities, a wallance and an SLSC officer with one professor who will be delivering seminars or motivating speeches to help boost the morale of each of our barristers were sent to Manila.

During my four day stay at Manila in Park Royal Condotel, I have the most amazing experience for only this year that everything is neatly ironed and is worthy of calling itself as a real bar operations. Although the first batch of bar operators for this year had to undergo lots of challenging tasks especially dealing with the raging weather and more particularly the new sets of rules and regulations now that the bar exam is held in the University of Santo Tomas on the month of November and MCQ at that.

As you may all know, SC has already banned the so-called tradition of boisterous “bar operations” due to the post bar exam blast at DLSU. However, given the limited man power, I and the rest of the second batch were fortunate enough to have been blessed with a great sunny weather and everything was smooth sailing. We did the best that we could to do what we have to do as bar operators.

On Friday we had to prepare the kits that we will distribute during our visitation to each of the barristers for the following day. Enclosed in those kits were medicines, bar tips, coffee, candies, pencils, sharpeners and biscuits. We have also brought with us “palangkas” which are actually gifts addressed to some barristers where we personally delivered such as per request from their families and loved ones in Iligan City.

Meantime, on Saturday we have the whole day designated for visiting bar candidates who are staying far from the vicinity of UST. Then on Sunday we have collaborated with certain school and religious organizations such as the AMAL (Alliance of Muslim Advocates of Law) where they helped sponsor breakfast for our barristers be it Muslim or Non-Muslim and then we head on to the headquarters of MSU to get the lunch to be given to the barristers of the MSU system. Camaraderie and unity were formed between different fraternities and that of the College of Law in Marawi, General Santos and of Iligan.

Me and my second batch of bar operators namely big sis Annalyn Ancis who happens to be our team leader and who has the most experience among the five of us since me, Bibbo Domado, Jenric Garcia and Seddik Magadapa only experienced serving as a bar operator for the very first time this year. For every challenges we had to face we have also built friendship in the process. Indeed it was exciting, tiring but very overwhelming knowing that you have given your 100% support to the barristers during their most challenging time.

Seeing our barristers happy and what is even more rewarding is the thank you messages and calls we have received coming from the MSU Iligan barristers whether with a fraternity or not is definitely worth the sacrifice we’ve gone through this years bar operations. Reading those messages have cured all our weariness and in this experience alone, it has inspired us to do well at school while we still have time to study before facing the dreadful bar examination.

So here are a collection of pictures during the second sunday of bar operations/bar exam. A very tiring yet fun-filled activity for the five of us:

Day 1: Arrival, Packing for the Kits for the baristas, Preparing the Palangkas, Text Brigade/Info Dissemination  :)

Our RIDE :)

Gotta have our belly's full. Having our brunch whilst waiting to board on plane.

Our team leader, ready to roll! (Unsa man na te Ann? Tan-aw ka listahan sa utang? Hehe!)

My awesome team! Mga masisipag at masayahin. I love my batch! Batch JUSTIKAN! :D

T'was my first time to have an evening flight bound to Manila. I was awestruck upon seeing the moon reflecting its shadow on the sea. It was a beautiful sight to see indeed. Makes  me remember, I have to watch Breaking Dawn pala. Seen it too and it was totally rad! Looking forward for the second part of the movie. Although at the last part, when looking at Bella's face it was kinda creepy for she looks like Mrs. Addams  but really freaked me out as she gained back her youth, her life.. (aaahh.. spoiler! :D)

Although my team was divided into two flights we were still in high spirits of what lies ahead of us for the following days in our stay in Manila. Whilst waiting for Seddik and Bibbo, we took pictures of people at NAIA III Terminal and at the same time looking for "vitamins sa mata". Haha! :D

The big man! Ang aming Tig. Ang pinakamamahal naming Mr. Kargador with a head dress. Hehe. Peace  Jenric. I miss yah, dude :P

Getting our baggage.

Me and Ate Ann. A lil bit tired (or jet lagged?? hehe..)  but still have to time to pose :) Pretty kami as always.
Oh-ha! Hehe.

Smile! :)

Finally,after more or less 30 minutes of waiting, Bibbo and Seddik arrived na rin. Tadaa! This is my team! The second batch of  MSU-Iligan Bar Operators for 2011 Philippine Bar Exam. We call ourselves the JUSTIKAN team! (Mga bayot ug kalag ako mga sidekicks! Muhaha!)

So now we're waiting for our taxi. Like waiting for 1 or 2 hours LANG naman?? Err. This is so disappointing! Our terminal definitely deserved to be coined as "one of the worst airports in the world". It's like waiting for a thousand years before we arrive to our destination. Dang! Buti sana if may upuan, eh wala naman. Tsk! :(

Well anyway, let's get to know better about my team mates. So this is Mr. Jenric  minus the "K" Garcia. Hehe. His Teehankee 2nd year law classmates call him "Father" kasi daw po he graduated sa simenaryo, hence the name "Father". But I call him "Father Lily" who happens to be the infamous hubby of the Filipino-Chinese movie producer "Mother Lily". Kidding. Haha! Still, he likes that so yeah, I am comfortable calling him that way and so does the whole team :D

And this is Mohamad Rayyan Domado, a classmate of  Father Lily and they call this dude "Bibbo". I dunno why but maybe because magaling siyang sumayaw kaya Totoy Bibo?? Haha! Well, in my team we call him "HOiii"because he has this mannerism of stopping people from laughing so loud by throwing stabbing stares and reprimanding as such by saying to them "hoy!"in a cute way, NA LANG! :D Oh, by the way, siya ang pinakamalakas kumain sa grupo namin ng junk foods as shown in the picture. LOL! 

Ito naman is Seddik Usman Magadapa and he's my fraternal brother sa Mu Kappa Phi. He's one year younger than me and super funny na tao. Sa tatlong guys, ito yong may pinaka-venomous ang pagkabayot ug kalag. Although he's not gay but when he acts and talks like homo's do, you might think of him as a member of the kapatiran ng mga bakla.. but nope! He's a certified male baka mapagalitan ako ng Egyptian na gf nya :D In our team, we call him "UMEEGHAT". I guess that smile plastered on his face is a proof that he is indeed a certified umeeghat or a flirt. Jk! 

And this is my big sister Annalyn Ancis though not biologically related but we treat each other as do real sisters. She's our senior in the College of Law. She's very responsible, funny and umeeghat din like the rest of the team. Haha! We call her "Bosheet". For me, this branding of awkward names among each of us originally started with Bibbo and her and then the virus spread our drastically to the rest of the justikan team. :P

And of course, yours truly the fifth member of the JUSTIKAN FAMILY. They named me "harharhar" maybe because I am one of those who laugh the weirdest and the loudest. Hahahaha! Like any other team, we are also composed of wallances such as Bibbo and Jenric, fraternities Seddik and me for MKP while Ate Ann for CLAN and also at the same time, me as a representive of the member of the Supreme Law Student Council. 

Killing the time as we are waiting for our taxi cab. That's how  unorganized and traffic Manila is that we have to wait two hours just so that we can arrive at Park Royal Condotel. Amazing or shall I say, pathetic! ;/

We've experienced minor glitch or a misunderstanding with the Admin of the accomodation but thankfully things went well. We had to take our dinner almost 12midnight and while waiting for our food, we're wrapping give aways for the MSU-Iligan baristas for the following days visitation. We didn't mind our tired bodies instead we've laughed so hard and tried to finish the work fast so we could take some Zzzs and charge up for next day's adventure! :)

Such colorful paper bags so that the baristas can feel the Christmas breeze. Haha!

ROCK THE BAR! We were hoping to use this tarpaulin however due to changed venue for the bar exam and a new set of rules for this year, we weren't able to make use of this. Sigh! Bummer! :(

An attempt on printing for bar tips! :)

Picture2x! Haha :D

Father Lily thinking: "Hopefully ganito din sana ka maalaga ang mga bar operators if kami na in the  immediate future ang magte-take ng bar exam. God-willing! " :)

Day 2: ABANGAN! :)