Few months ago my friend asked me to support Don Bosco Mandaluyong-Team Grigio for Shell Eco-Marathon Asia; a competition for high school and college students from around the world to design, build and test energy efficient vehicles. This will be held at Sepang International Circuit this coming July of 2010.
As I look for other teams which will be with Team Grigio, I found out that two of our colleagues in high school are leading another team. Mapua Institute of Technology Team Atalanta team leader Jericho Paolo Rivera and Richard Saul Turalba a member of the Engine group was part of Batch 2006 of Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati. Both of them are coming from Automotive Technology 1 class when they were in High school. From a humble beginning of being an Automotive Technician graduate they were now using what they have learned into this competition. Proud as a Bosconian, two different teams with bosconian spirit will represent the Philippines and be proud about what they can do. I will cheer neither for Don Bosco Mandaluyong nor Mapua but for Bosconians.

Not far from the limelight was another Bosconian breed from Makati who will be representing us Filipinos on another field which is Public Speaking. From a family of public servants, here comes Ervim Charles Orbase, an 18-year-old Multimedia Arts sophomore at Asia Pacific College in Makati City. Proudly I say he is the brother of my friend, Bert Orbase.

Here’s an excerpt from Philippine Star:

Orbase topped the national competition that drew 37 participants coming not just from the usual high schools, colleges, and universities within Metro Manila, but also from new schools in Bulacan, Dumaguete and Cebu. Participating schools included UP Diliman, UP Manila, UP Los Baños, FEU, UST, DLSU, STC, ADMU, LSGH, Philippine Science High School, St. Paul’s College, Letran, Claret, Bulacan State University, Siliman University, and Cebu Normal University.

The screening rounds were conducted on March 6 at UP Diliman’s School of Economics, in conjunction with the UP Debate Society’s hosting of college debate competitions. Nine finalists were selected and presented by UP Debate Society president Anna Arcellana to the ESU-Philippines board of judges for the Finals held later in the day: ESU-Phil chair Amb. Cesar Bautista, ESU-Phil president Dr. Marlu C. Vilches, and board members Howard Belton, Dr. Lourdes Montinola, Erlinda Panlilio, Dr. Butch Dalisay, and this writer.

Joining the judges’ panel was Gian Karlo Dapul, the IPSC grand prize winner in 2008, our second winning delegate after Patricia Evangelista’s breakthrough triumph in 2004.

Orbase’s draft speech that went no more than five minutes, on this year’s contest theme of “Speculations for the Future,” was curiously titled “The Optimism of a Highly Sinister 13-year-old Thief.” It certainly drew the appreciation of the judges, who gave Ervin plus marks for originality, humor, substance and structure, and dynamic delivery. His selection as our Philippine candidate was unanimous.

Wounding up in second place and thus the first alternate was another student from Asia Pacific College, Czarina Moresco Frias, while winning 3third place was Richard Estrella from UP Diliman.

Hail Don Bosco, Hail Bosconians we stand high and proud representing Don Bosco Philippines to the whole world.