The Truth about LARGETS

    Synonymously, Larget is a Maasinhon slang term for Ready Go! As opposed to a contrary term Wap-it meaning wait up.

   A group of Master in Public Administration (MPA) masterands from Southwestern University Graduate School visited in Maasin City in September 2011 as part of the batch’s academic requirement to immerse in Local Government Unit. I happened to be one of the masterands, and being connected with the LGU, it was a privilege for me to bring my classmates to Maasin, a fourth class component capital city of the Province of Southern Leyte. This 11 year old ciudad has been recognized by the Bloomberg Foundation, World Health Organization and the Department of Health as a two-time Red Orchid Awardee for its significant implementation of the No Smoking Program.

    While in this tour, the word larget became a batch-hold term every time picture taking would take place or when the bus would be ready to depart.

    O, Larget, larget…. One, two, three… Click!

    By the time that tour was over, our MPA adviser, Dr. Esmael C. Codilla, asked how we should call the batch, other than being Batch 6. Yet, with no exact term to use, the batch finally decided to adopt the name LARGET, as an abridgement of Leadership Aimed at Resilient Governance, Empowerment and Transparency. The members of the batch shall be called Largets!

   Membership. Francis Escalante of the DENR, who is better known to be the seat-in classmate(although he really isn’t), used to ask about who are the real members of the Largets. But, yeah, who really are the members of the Largets. 

   Other than myself, there’s Senen Catingub, Jr., our class president who works as Division Chief in HDMF Pag-ibig, Cris Teovisio, our Vice President who graduated Meritisimus is the Security Manager of JP Morgan Chase. Maria Carla de Pio, the class secretary and Maria Antonietta Taboada, the class treasurer, both work at HDMF Pag-ibig. Then, there’s Marilou Degula (Social Security System) our class auditor, Joel Datanagan (Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority), our class press relations officer, Rose Canillo (General Manager of Matluster Corp), Hartzel Peter Billedo (Deputy Operations Officer of Negros Oriental Provincial Police) and Glen Facturan (Action PNCO of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Division) are our Peace Officers while Joan Guia Arnoco, the lady chief of WCPD/CCPO of the PNP is the class muse.

   The biggest group in the class comes from the National Statistics Office that includes some of the big wigs in the agency. Edwina Carriaga, the regional statistician, Hera Juarez, statistical coordination officer II, Isabel Hinampas, the NSO Accountant. Then there’s Myrna Trinidad Cataluna, Leslie Marie Zuasula, Irish Bontilao and Margie Elic of the NSO Regional Office while Richy Fortich Amatong, April Aglan Mifil Gocela, Lyndon Gerardo Suico and Roland Largado all come from the NSO Cebu Provincial Office.

    Then there’s Maristel Ortiza (now Mrs. Acusar), Desiree Lagdamen, Audy Almine, Alona Japos of the Home Mutual Development Fund – Pag-IBIG Cebu South Branch.  Sherlyn Royeras of the Government Service Insurance System, Vic Jay Gonzal, Chapter Administrator of the Philippine Red Cross Lapu-lapu Cordova Chapter, Francis Philip Escalante of the DENR, Michelle Canete of Diaz Medical Clinic, the two lady teachers from Sangat San Fernando National High School, Marichu Genargue and Rosemariwen Renes.

Then we have our classmates in the “uniformed agencies”, Raymundo B. Enriquez, Jr., the Station Chief of Pinamungajan Cebu PNP, Eric Ortega, the Camp-de-Aide at Camp Crame, Ariel Arellano, the Company Ex-O of the 2^nd Regional Pulbic Safety Maneuver Company, Julito Tarona, Jr. (a.k.a. Brownie), the Chief Warden at Guihulngan District Jail, Rhoen Mingueto, the Firefighting Crew of Dumanjug BFP and Constancia June Codilla (a.k.a. Puti / JS) of the BFP Regional Office.

   Then there’s our Graduate School Dean, Albim Y. Cabatingan, Prof. Esmael Codilla, and Prof. Marlon Astillero.

   These people are the ones who primarily organized and composed the Largets. There are others still who have been considered members of the family because they have expressed their commitment to make themselves part of it. Such for instance, Dr. Ruby Correa Facturan, the better half of Sir Glen, SPO4 Renes (the hubby of Ma'am Mariwen who only finished two semesters of the course), some officemates of our classmates from Pag-IBIG and NSO and other classmates who did not finish the course, who have been all-supportive with the charitable causes and other activities of the group.

   In a year that LARGET has been together, the batch has shown the best of everything and shared this with everyone else. Contrary to the previous batches’ come-and-go scenarios, the Largets have stuck with each other through thick and thin, filling the shortcomings of others, enhancing the talent of the co-members, and enjoying together the fruits of solidary efforts. Even in the most difficult moment, there is at least a Larget or two who would come to rescue a member in distress. Such that in the end, only those that are beyond the control of the batch’s power can be considered valid reasons to set things aside.

   While words are important to make things understandable, Largets manage to use words to make things controversial (but confined only to Largets, and for Largets use only.) Yet, to decipher these words is another challenging story that will leave someone spellbound while the author of the word and those who already understood it are more likely laughing their fat a**es out loud. The meanings of phrases and words like “eating pasayan (shrimp), bubbles-bubbles, jump-ship and bag-id could surely get you crazy. I'll be posed for censorship if I'll be posting their meanings here.

   There are things in Larget that can’t be found in the non-Larget batches. Yet, I would just like to keep it as how Prof. Astillero put it when he said “Natingala ko ngano ing-ani nalang akong commitment ninyo. Been able to handle 5 Cebu-based batches pero karon ra ko nipangga ug maayo ug group. Ngano kaha?” - FB: March 4, 2012 19:30 (“I was wondering why I am as committed as this with your batch. I have been able to handle 5 Cebu-based batches, but it’s only this time that I have been so concerned with a group”) Thus, whatever is it in LARGET that makes each member valuable is simply capsulized in Ma’am Carla’s statement, “Walang Iwanan. One for All. All for One”.

   Quo Vadis, Largets? The long and winding road after graduation is a more challenging highway for the Largets to traverse. Yet, who’s afraid to cross it when you're not alone? Largets will be there for each other and for those who need the Largets. Largets have committed to live-up by what the batch stands for – Leadership Aimed  for Resilient Governance, Empowerment and Transparency. Largets shall continue to pursue the batch’s commitment of performing excellence in their respective agencies, rendering genuine services to their customers and persevering in its social responsibilities.