DESPITE failing to secure a podium finish in this year’s Pautakan, a voice major alumnus concluded his eight-year stint in the longest-running intercollegiate competition where he has competed since 2012.
Team captain Jose Javato, 24, said his drive to break the stereotype that students from the Conservatory of Music were only capable of composing tunes motivated him to join every time.
“[Pautakan is] an avenue to prove that music students can do more than what many people think,” he told the Varsitarian. “Making a name in Pautakan is a lesser priority, but being known as someone who worked hard and raise the bar is still something to be happy about.”
Though he didn’t take home a Pautakan crown, Javato said securing a spot in the top five advancing in the final round of the competition was already an achievement in itself but he remained hopeful that their “podium finish will come eventually.”
“We haven’t taken home the crown yet since the Conservatory started participating in Pautakan [but] we believe that it’s not yet the time and it’s alright. The goal now is to maintain the standing and strive to be better each year,” he said.
Javato said he was first tapped to join the team when he was in first year, replacing a recruit who backed out from the competition. He admitted that he felt overwhelmed at first because he did not expect the wide array of questions asked in the competition from different categories namely UST History, History, General Information and Current Events, Humanities, Science and Technology and Mathematics.
Along with the review sessions for Pautakan, he also had to manage his time to attend to his academics, music rehearsals and performances inside and outside UST. Aside from Pautakan, his team also had participated in TeOMASINO, UST Institute of Religion’s Theology quiz bee.
He said he usually does self-studying to prepare for quiz contests. His team usually hold meetings weeks before Pautakan to review.
“Considering the scope of the questions, you don’t know where to start looking for topics and facts to study [but these] competitions push you outside the box, they challenge you to think fast and make the right choices under pressure,” he said.
Even if the second runner-up finish in the individual category in 2014 was the closest he got to the top spot, Javato said the success of his Pautakan journey was a collaborative effort he shared with his teammates.
“I can say that my Pautakan journey is fulfilling. The battle is hard to face when done alone so [my teammates’] help and company throughout my stay is of great help [in] reaching what we achieved so far,” he said.
