My Daughter Hates Me

My daughter Ann Gabrielle (2nd from left)
 with her  classmates

My daughter hates me because I sent her to the school where I wish my parents had at least tried me in.
This school is where a high school kid can gain his education and start honing and pursuing his talent and passion for the Arts like drawing, painting, acting, dancing, singing, playing the piano, guitar, violin and just have fun fun fun while growing and learning.  My daughter is not enjoying her spot in this school located on a mountain where she is mingling with her peers who share the same passion with her.  She does not like having to stay in a dorm for a whole week and being away from her crazy Mom who prods her, pressures her, pushes her to learn how to be neat and organized and to be a bit more attentive to her surroundings because this wifi era is putting her in a trance already. She does not appreciate the people who have been taking over my role in nurturing her day to day at her age, 13 going 14 - the lean and mean faculty and staff, a friendly nurse, a genius guidance counsellor, lead by a great Artist himself named Vim Nadera.

Photo by PHSA 

A heartwarming show
that evening

Her hatred for me was aggravated because I attended the first ever celebration of this school's Foundation Day yesterday since its inception on June 11, 1977.  It was a day long celebration of its 37th Anniversary with the theme, "Inang Kalikasan, Inang Bayan and Inang Paaralan" (Mother Nature, Mother Nation and Alma Mater).  It started with a tree-planting activity where I didn't make it.  I arrived at noon time, had my lunch there and in the afternoon, I got the chance to listen to the Alumni guests who shared their unforgettable experience from this unconventional school.  I also had the privilege to watch the show in the evening, after dinner, of the Alumni as well.  They have not only ended up in the country's top universities and schools, some of them made it to the world, getting more training abroad like the US, Russia, Europe.  I took particular note on Mr. Greg Zuñiga, a Piano major who set out to Moscow to get more piano lessons and to London to study Economics. He played 2 pieces that evening.  It was so smooth and moving without the aid of notes in front of him.  They also had terrific personalities while they performed on stage with witty and funny quips on the side.  I don't know if it's just my age, but I think this is the kind of Art that should be out there commercially not movies like My Little ---- (never mind).

BUDDHA FACE
1/4 Illustration Board
Pencil and Charcoal
by Ann Gabrielle Domingo
as commissioned by Bong Geolin

My daughter really hates me because someday, if she does well in this school and finally gets the full title of being called an "Ibarang"**, she will be among the well-rounded alumni who not only ended up in the Arts but have also become Architects, Accountants, IT Professionals, Doctors, etc.  She will continue to get annoyed by me supporting her in this scholarship, majoring in Visual Arts. I will be forever honoured to have an Ibarang child from batch Jarmonya (Jose Joya and Severino Montano)*.

I am talking about the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) located at Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna.  And if you have reached this part of this article, my daughter does not really hate me.  We have our share of mother-daughter issues but generally, we are fine. I just used that title to get your attention.

Did it work?  Thanks for reading.

What the PHSA Scholars are surrounded with
A Blend of Nature and Art

MABUHAY ANG MGA PILIPINONG ALAGAD NG SINING!
(LONG LIVE FILIPINO DISCIPLES OF THE ARTS)

*Each batch of scholars is named after National Artists.  A batch consists of 30 students on the average so the school population is not as big as regular schools

**Nickname of the students and alumni of PHSA coined by Nick Pichay, Batch Tolentino* (1979-the first batch of graduates)