Our young candidate in London

Our candidate this year for the annual International Public Speaking Competition in London, run by the English Speaking Union, is Ramon Lorenzo Luis Rosa Guinto of the University of the Philippines, who was selected from among 10 finalists last month.

The judging was conducted on March 14 at UP Diliman, in conjunction with the annual debating tournament among certain colleges and universities. Composing the judging panel were English Speaking Union-Philippines chair Dr Marlu Vilches, dean of the Ateneo School of Humanities; former ESU-Phil chair Butch Dalisay; Andrew Picken of The British Council Manila; Far Eastern University chair Dr. Lourdes Montinola and this writer as ESU-Phil board directors; and Patricia Evangelista and Gian Carlo Dapul, past ESU-Phil winning candidates in the prestigious international contest.

Second-and-third-placers were Dominic Briguera and Carla Nicole Sia, both of UP Diliman — positions that are also important since the first-placer’s unavailability for the international competition would mean an upgrade for either alternate.

There were a few times when ESU-Phil actually sent two candidates, but it’s been pointed out by our supporters in London that these two would have to go against one another in a preliminary heat. So it’s been decided since last year that only one official representative should be sent.

Twenty-year-old “Renzo” Guinto is a medical student at UP Manila-PGH (Class of 2012). His speech was titled “Renew the Body, Regenerate the Home: The Best Choice” — in keeping with this year’s contest theme of Regeneration and Renewal.

Since we started sending candidates in 2002 when the ESU Philippines chapter was formed, a couple of young Filipino students have gained acclaim in winning the international contest that draws as many as 60 contestants from nearly 40 countries: Patricia Evangelista in 2004 and Gian Karlo Dapul last year. Two out of seven: Not bad for our fledgling organization.

Of course the thinking is that the odds will now be against Renzo. But the lady who assists our yearly contestants right in London, Loline Reed, reminds us that South Africa has won repeat titles, and that the judges for this year’s competition are going to be both new and young. So, it’s not impossible for a repeat victory for the Philippines, or a hat trick scored within only eight years of participation.

Loline says however that some countries have reportedly started hiring professional writers to “help” the speakers. Well, we also have that advantage, in fact even a better situation, since the writers who have been helping out our candidates aren’t hired hands, but rather give of themselves as a labor of love.

Butch Dalisay, Dr. Isagani Cruz, Dr. Gémino Abad and Ed Maranan are expected to pitch in with their commentary and suggestions for Renzo to enhance his draft speech. I join these gentlemen, plus Patricia and Gian, in actually rehearsing Renzo later this month, at a venue in Ateneo provided by Dean Marlu Vilches.

Once again we must thank Pilipinas Shell for its yearly patronage in sending our bet to London for the contest. Country manager Ed Chua who also happens to be on the board of ESU-Phil has been most supportive indeed.

Renzo plans to arrive in London by May 11, a few days before the contest. He spends his first two days with a friend who, like him, is an Ayala Young Leader, or among the network of 800 young Filipino leaders worldwide trained since 1998 on servant leadership by Ayala Corp. Renzo is of the 2008 batch. He hopes of course to visit the British Museum and other London sites, especially places he’s seen in movies: “Notting Hill and King’s Cross Station: 9 and 3 quarters (Harry Potter) — I wish to see them, too!”

From May 13 he will be kindly and graciously hosted by Loline and her husband Ken, who have seen to that self-imposed duty for the past several years. “Tita” Loline is a leading officer of the Overseas Women’s Club, and no better Pinay host, guide, and advisor can our young candidates find in London.

She has already arranged for Renzo’s courtesy call on our Embassy on May 14. Unfortunately, Ambassador Ed Espiritu will be in Hong Kong for a conference, so it will be the Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Ray Catapang, and cultural attaché Ms. Cecile Santos who will receive Renzo and lead the embassy staff in hearing him deliver his speech as a final dress rehearsal.

In her continuing communication with the young Renzo, Loline so articulately puts everything in perspective in her advance counsel:

“You will also have media there to interview you, including some British journalists. You will be interviewed by ABS/CBN (Gene Alcantara) for the Balitang London segment, so your parents and all your friends can watch and see you on TV news there (in Manila). However, your Embassy date will also be a chance for our Pinoy leaders to hear you ... (T)hey will ask you questions after your speech — a very good way to test your ability to answer questions ‘on your feet.’ We did it with Patricia so by the time the competition came, she felt very confident and at ease.

“Please make sure that your speech will be ready when you ‘perform’ for your audience. Only a few people are allowed to attend to hear you during the day of the competition, hence the interest to hear you at the Embassy. By the time you face the audience at the competition, you will be honed to “near perfection” — reserve the “perfection” for the competition! (Ho, ho, ho!)

“You will meet your peers, all bright young leaders of their schools/universities. It will be such an amazing experience for you. But some of them probably have never been abroad, hence the temptation to wander around London at night. The ESU people in charge treat everyone like young adults so there will be no supervision. Once you all leave the ESU after a day’s activities, the ESU leaves everyone alone. They do not act as chaperones. There will be no Titas or Titos there to ensure that the young ones behave. Very British!

“You have a very good speech but your delivery and presentation must be word perfect. Gian Dapul and Patricia Evangelista won on the strength of their confident delivery, speech content and ease of presentation. You have a chance to win. I was informed by the ESU that this year, there are really good ‘champions from the other countries’ but if you are confident and relaxed, you can win. Judges are different each year. Best to arrive here already confident and ready for the competition.”

Loline and Ken have also volunteered to take Renzo on a sightseeing tour of Bath and Stonehenge, after he expressed interest in taking in those places. The competition takes place from May 19 to 21, after which Renzo undertakes a Homestay program where he lives with a British family for a few days. Then he goes with a friend on a road trip to Manchester and Edinburgh if it becomes feasible. He returns to the Reeds on May 29 and takes the flight home the next day.

We are already very happy for Renzo for earning this opportunity to not only represent our country in a competition where we’ve fared in no less than excellent fashion. It’s also quite enviable for a young man of 20 to experience his first visit to the United Kingdom at that age. In a way, he also represents that sterling exception to the saying that youth is often wasted on the young.

We wish Renzo Guinto luck, and a great good time.