4:26 am
13 February 2010

There's a reason I'm awake at this hour on a Saturday morning. His name is Beng Villamil.

I've known Beng for eight years. Allow me to go back to our high school years in Pisay, to a time when he was just beginning to come out of his shell. I had the good fortune to work with him during our junior year. He invited me to join SaMaPi (Samahan ng mga Manunugtog ng Pisay). It was one of those student orgs that were slowly dying out at the time. Participation was dwindling among the upperclassmen, and so he was elected as president when he was only a sophomore.

Beng brought new life to SaMaPi during his term. He brought together a small group of friends who just loved music and wanted to put together the best fair concert ever for our school. Months later, we had somehow managed to produce an amateur band competition and a huge concert featuring over a dozen bands, and we raised more money for the school than we had ever experienced handling in our entire lives. People began to respect SaMaPi after that, and they wanted to be a part of it. And we just kept on getting better.

The following year, our roster of members swelled to almost a hundred strong. We replicated the success of the fair concert and the battle of the bands, we conducted workshops, and we organized Kwentuhan Sessions, a series of monthly gigs where we brought in independent bands. They would play for us in a classroom setting, and the students would get to ask them questions about their music and the industry. We met Imago, Boldstar, Twisted Halo, Radioactive Sago Project, Brownman Revival, Sugarfree, and many other bands through Kwentuhan and the fair concerts. Those are some of the best and brightest moments I've had, and I have Beng to thank for it.

Sometimes, I still wonder how we were able to do all that. We were so young, and we were just winging it all the time, but we believed in what we were doing. His vision and his brilliance uplifted us to do things that we didn't yet know we could do. I remember how tireless he always was in pursuing the goals we had laid out. He worked harder than anyone on the team, and his optimism and passion motivated us to follow his example. These days, I no longer have the pleasure of getting to work with Beng, but I am still inspired by him.

Eight years and counting, and Beng still keeps on surprising me. I never thought he would choose to go into university politics. I always knew he would do great things, but I thought his leadership would be in the field of science, or music, or art. I take such great pride and joy in seeing how he matured into a responsible man who is dedicated to serving the school and country. Indeed, of all the people I know, he has grown the most. And he just keeps on getting better.

When they asked him to run for USC Chairperson, he sought my advice. I told him that as his friend, I wasn't sure I wanted him to go through all the stress that it would bring. But as a UP student, I have every faith that it is best for the school and for all of us iskolars. I know that he is doing it for love of school and country, because he could have chosen to shine his light elsewhere, but he did not. He has chosen to fight an uphill battle. Just like all those years ago, the odds are stacked against us. And although I don't know how we could win, I believe.

I believe because I know how much brilliance is within him. Most people don't immediately see how fiercely it burns beneath the unassuming exterior - a fire that is tempered by reason and prudence. He is, after all, a scientist, and one of the most rational and smartest people I know. What makes him a good leader is the quiet strength of his commitment, the encouragement of his example and the endurance of his vision. I support him all the way because he is exactly the kind of leader we need in the USC.