Thursday, January 28, 2010

College Days

I graduated in high school in 196l. Our class valedictorian was Cecilia Tinio, salutatorian was Angelita Diamzon. I was 3rd honorable mention.

My first choice at that time of the course to take was law. I was fascinated of trial lawyers, especially with the fictional Perry Mason of Erle Stanley Gardner, one of my earlier favorite authors.
I thought then that I could handle law: I had a good grasp of english, I had a very good memory, and I was quite good in class recitations.

I took and passed the entrance examination at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. I planned to take up AB as a preparatory course for law. However, on the night before I go to Manila to enroll our class adviser, Mr. Agbayani came to our house and discouraged me to take up law. He said, "Kung kasing galing mo si Ferdinand Marcos, I would advise you to take up law".

I ended up enrolling at the University of the East, Manila taking up business administration.

In hindsight, I should not had heeded Mr. Agbayani's advice. Not all law students were as good as Ferdinand Marcos! And at that time I had not yet heard of him nor even aware that he existed. Many times I was wondering... What if I had taken up law
instead, what would had been my life?

My interest in law however was not over. At the university, I found out that business administration subjects, especially accounting were not my cup of tea. I was more interested in law and public speaking courses. Together with Daniel Rondon, a high school friend who was also enrolled at UE taking up political science, entered every oratorical and public speaking contests at the university! Although we were always eliminated, these became testing grounds for developing our level of self-confidence.

Celebration of Romeo Dubal's birthday during college at D & E Rest. in Quezon City...Sept. 6,1963

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