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By: Joaqui Flores and Matthew Li
Yesterday, former Letran head coach Aldin Ayo made one last appearance at the Letran Gym in Intramuros, Manila to bid farewell to the CSJL community.
Here is the full transcript of Ayo’s farewell speech:
Father Rector, all the Fathers, Father Vic, the players, alumni, the students, the teachers, the whole Letran community. Good evening.
Well, hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko, kung magcecelebrate tayo o ano. Pero, una kong sasabihin: it’s been a month na nanalo tayo and personally, I haven’t celebrated this championship yet. Right after the championship, puro trabaho, puro trabaho and hindi ko naramdaman kasi puro trabaho.
And doon sa mga times na nag-iisip ako at lahat, isa lang ang namiss ko: namiss ko ‘yung team ko. That’s why bumalik ako dito, Kaya lang hindi lang nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na mabuo kami. Tuwing hinahanap ko ‘yung mga players ko, hinahanap ko ‘yung coaching staff [and] the rest. During those times na hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko, alam ko na ang makakausap ko lang ‘yung players eh. Kasi, doon sa the whole campaign, doon sa giyera na pinuntahan namin, heto ‘yung mga kasama ko. And hindi rin kami nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na magkausap-usap.
So, ayaw ko magsabi ng kung anu-ano. I’ll go straight to the point: next year I won’t be around and kung magtatanong kayo sa akin kung ano ang dahilan, it’s very personal. And these [personal] reasons siguro, when we won a championship, pare, players and the rest, nakuha ko na. I gained everything. Pero hours lang, isip ko, nawala din sa akin lahat eh. So iyon, iyon ang reason and nagkaroon ng mga.. umuwi ako at siguro burned out din. Kasi iyon nga, walang time to celebrate from it and ayon, namiss ko lahat and actually I decided not to come back here in Manila. Sabi ko, okay na ako dito sa Sorsogon. Okay naman dito, buhay probinsiya kasi isang bagay na hirap na hirap ko ‘yung lifestyle dito sa Manila kasi hindi ako sanay dito.
And halos nagdecide na talaga ako na di na ako babalik dito. I talked to Coach Austin na ikaw ang bahala diyan. Although Coach Austin decided also not to come back, uuwi rin daw siya ng Sorsogon.
Last Monday lang, nagcontact sa akin ‘yung La Salle and isip ko, sabi ko pag-isipan ko. Pero, inisip ko naman, sabi ko ano gagawin ko dito sa Sorsogon? Magmumukmok ako dito o anong gagawin ko dito? Then sabi ko, subukan ko and kinausap ako at nangyari ‘yun. Umoo ako sa kanila kasi inisip ko new enviroment, new opportunity [and] the rest. And believe me, nag-oo ako sa kanila na hindi nga namin napag-usapan kung anu-ano. I just said yes. Walang napag-usapan kung magkano o ano.
So it’s not about the money.Don’t ever think about that because I myself have enough. Simple lang naman lifestyle ko. Probinsiyano ako at okay na ako doon. Then, hindi totoo kung ano ang nababasa niyo and it’s not even about politics. I know this is not the right time to say it and I’m not gonna say it. Pero, wait for it, second week of December because I’m going to make an announcement. Pero, it’s not about politics.
And lastly, I will always be a Letranite. I will always come back here. I will always help the team and everything that I do, I will always make Letran proud because I love Letran. I started here and sinabi ko na ibabalik ko dito ‘yung mga binigay sa akin and I will continue doing that. So, pray for me and I will still be here, I’m going to help the team, I’m going to help Letran, I’m always here for Letran.
Arriba Letran! Thank you very much.
NEXT PAGE: Letran Rector Fr. Clarence Marquez, OP >>
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Letran is celebrating her 395th anniversary! Let us rejoice and be glad!
“Victory rests with the Lord” (Prov 21:31)
We began the week by commemorating the feast ofour prominent alumnus, San Vicente Liem dela Paz, Letranite, Dominican, martyr. His life and example is fitting witness to Letran’s ideals – neither death, nor defeat can shake our faith in God who is our reward, our victory!
It is also in this spirit that we are gathered here – to honor the Letran Knights for winning the senior’s basketball championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the year 2015, and bringing home this 17th title to Letran. As always, we glorify God!
“But my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declared the Lord (Isa 55:8)
Now, our triumph is tempered by tears, our joy is mixed with sorrow. Our beloved coach, Aldin Ayo, an outstanding Letran alumnus, is bidding us “farewell,” in order to coach for another school, in another league, for reasons most personal and professional. And with hearts, heavy but honorable still, we will let him go, wish him the best, keep his name in holy and grateful memory.
So we embrace this “parting of ways,” as part of God’s thoughts and ways.
Of course, there will be questions, pointed and painful, sad and severe, angry and anxious.
But Letran will stay the course. We will always do what is right, what is true, what is good. Let our battle cry “All Filipino! All Heart! Continue to ring out, with pride and passion and principled living.
We will be true champions – knights in shining armor – defending our honor, defining this as our moment of glory, promoting the true spirit of amateur sports – our pure “love for the game,” abiding by the rules and ethis of fair play competition, extending and earning respect from our colleagues, always courteous to opponents, committed only to the greater good of our student-athletes, our coaches and trainers, our alumni and fans.
Through sports and beyond sports, Letran shall commit to seeking and finding, among our young people, especially the poor, the next champion Letranites, the next “Aldin Ayo,” providing them with the opportunity to elevate their life and learning to excel in their talents, and to educate them in what matters most, in love and loyalty, in our always already enshrined ideals of “Deus, Patria, Letran!”
And we call upon the people of God, most especially our fellow institutions of higher learning, in the NCAA and in other leagues, to join us in this journey, summoning all our school spirits behind Animo! Bravo! Go! Fight! Viva! Fuego! Mabuhay! and ARRIBA! Let us launch this crusade of promoting and protecting the best interest of amateur sports. Let us champion this cause, carry it with dignity, dedication and devotion, play fierce but play fair, run the race, keep the faith, and win the game called Life.
Siempre Arriba! Siempre Letran!
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