Stuck in the Hole

Stuck in the Hole

I don’t know about you, but many people find me weird, weird in many levels on several different aspects. One reason maybe because they expect me to be an independent thinker, and yet, I sometimes join the band, not knowing what exactly to expect.

At the time last year, I was very positively sure not to join IB, and I had already missed out on the applications. Many, especially my teachers, were surprised that I hadn’t applied and were more upset that I did not want to apply. But nevertheless, I was still curious on what the whole fuss on IB was all about, so for my multi-genre research paper in English, I decided to research about how the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme would supposedly help students in college and for future endeavors.

Some of my friends applied for the program, while some took my stand against it. I did a little digging and as it turns out, IB isn’t so “impossible” after all, according to the internet websites. A very popular school in Manila, Brent International School claims that about 92% of their students would generally pass the IBDP and get the diploma. Several doctors have given their opinion that the IB program is indeed a special educational system, which will help students for their future. Well, let’s just say that due to the research and facts, I concluded with my research paper confirming that the IBDP does help students for college and life beyond. It seems promising.

I kept thinking and thinking, even in my showers and meals, “hmmm, maybe I should join I.B.”? Later on, I found out that someone was still able to apply for the IB, so I unconsciously applied as well. I mean like, it’s not like I will die in the process right? Right?

But wait! Thinking about it whenever I go to SM, there are so many people like Filipinos and Chinese-Filipinos alike, who are successful tycoons today, practically countless. A common example would be the ever so famous shoe guy, Mr. Henry Sy. He didn’t come from an international school, nor did he come from a private school. He merely came from Far Eastern University, most probably not familiar to those rich kids in international schools, and I’m positively sure that the IB program wasn’t and isn’t offered there, but most probably when you go to an asian country like the Philippines or China, you’d hear that enticing tune “here at SM, we’ve got it all for you”!

Another popular man from the Forbes list at number three, is John Gokongwei, Jr, who started with nothing, as in nothing at all, just peddling threat, soap, and candles, but look at him now. He has holdings in telecom, financial services, petrochemicals, power, and even hog farming. And how can I forget the nation’s largest cigarette maker, Fortune Tobacco, second largest beer maker, Asia Brewery, and of course, Philippine Airlines, and a lot more, Mr. Lucio Tan. There are a lot more like Ayala, Andrew Tan, etc.

Well, there are also a number of prominent tycoons, who studied IB like Nokia’s Jorma Ollila, but it just goes to show that no matter what education you take, it doesn’t meant that you will probably or surely be successful in the future. No! In fact, sometimes, the less educated are even the ones who are able to make it to the Forbes top ten list. Okay, to break it down, most of these tycoons probably came from rags to riches.

But up until now, I still do not know exactly why I suddenly decided to join the IB program. Really! It’s like my foot got drawn into the manhole, but I slowly got dragged down into the hole. Sigh!

But now, here I am, undergoing the popular, and for some, infamous, IB. Whatever I do, or whatever I regret, the point is that I’m now stuck in this hole, called IB.