It's more than just a Pop Cola

Pop Cola. Pop Cola here and there.

Pop Cola became ubiquitous just like the majestic Mayon Volcano in all the community mobilization and project briefing the CICT-iSchools Team conducted in the 14 public high schools in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and the island province of Catanduanes in October 2007.

These 14 recipient public high schools, remote or not so remote, showed us the best hospitality they could offer, in simple or in lavish ways they could. So whether the orientation was held in the principal’s office, in the faculty room or in the classroom, one thing was always present – Pop Cola.

The snacks the schools offered to us, which ranged from the simple native turon or skyflakes to the mouth-watering macaroni or buko salad were espoused with the best drink in town, Pop Cola. Hehehe!

I missed the first five days of the orientation of the CICT-iSchools Team composed of Mr. Erwin P Rayel, the Project Manager, Dr. Amelia S. Dorosan, the Dean of the College of Science, Ms. Marnie B. Arellano, the Training Manager and other staff that’s why I also missed the six bottles or more of Pop Cola. Whew!

Thist Pop Cola thing reminds me of the famous Philippine short story ‘Visitation of the Gods’ by Gilda Cordero-Fernando. In it, visitors composed of heads of schools visited Pugad Lawin High School for some rounds of evaluation which in fact was just to deplete whatever goods the school and the community have. The teachers of Pugad Lawin welcomed the visitors with such embellishment fit for ‘gods.’ Of course the expenses were slashed from the teacher’s pay envelopes.

Hospitality even to a fault, that’s how Filipinos show it anyway.

And that’s also how the schools welcomed us. But of course we did not go there to deplete their goods but to bring some good news.

Now about that seven or eight peso-Pop Cola … admittedly, we had a hearty laugh about it, we joked about it that it had become the most abused issue all throughout our free moments.

Why Pop Cola all the time? Why not Coca Cola, Sprite or Royal? I do not like to attribute Pop Cola’s ‘popularity’ to effective promotion in these schools. I am tempted to say that it is the cheapest (though it’s the truth) but I do not want to think it that way.

If we look at it closely, the two-peso difference in the prices of Pop Cola and Coca Cola spells a lot of difference. Obviously, a lot of difference especially if some people deserve to receive more than to give; but whatever the circumstances are, Pinoy hospitality is still shown at its simplest yet the best anyone could ever imagine.

Honestly, had these schools offered us lavish foods, minus Pop Cola, I would have doubted their sincerity. They may have the capability to spend more than the usual thing and think it’s not an everyday event anyway but it is not it, really. It was nice to know they did not spend that much just to show us their best hospitality. Yes, the expenses for the snacks they serve to us might have been slashed from their pay envelopes, yet I am sure it wasn’t that too much in their pockets.

I could say that this Pop Cola experience is one of the most unforgettable moments of my life in the last five years. So guys when we do the roll out in November and December, expect that bottles of the ubiquitous Pop Cola would be served again to us. Cheers to Pop Cola!