Fight! Fight! The Story of the Blue & White

Guys like Nono Felipe (a good friend of mine) and other Ateneans have been inquiring about the Fight! Fight! The Story of the Blue & White.

It’s a project that was finished about a year ago with a total playing time of about 45 minutes. I broke it down into the following chapters:
I. The Blue Company – the Jesuits, ratio studiorum, mens sana in corpore sano
II. On Wings of Blue – pre-NCAA days and the early years
III. The Blue Eagles Have Landed – 1938-41 – the salvo before WWII
IV. Blue Cheer – the immortal Blue Babble Battalion
V. Post-War Blues – Moro Lorenzo and the luckless Blue Eagles
VI. Blue Empire – the rollicking 50’s when track was king and the NCAA withdrawal (you'll see rare footage of Fr. Joe Cruz making the announcement of Ateneo's withdrawal from the NCAA)
VII. Blue Resurrection – the UAAP years and the back-to-back
VIII. Today’s Blue – Ateneo sports in the new millennium
IX. Blue Voices – what it means to wear the blue and white

This was finished before the Lady Eagles' 2005 title as well as the Blue Booters' three-peat that's why it doesn't appear in the credits. None of the modern athletes were interviewed because they're still in the process of making names for themselves. It was actually pressed only early this year. Rolly Manlapaz did the voiceovers.

Cast:
Fr. James Reuter SJ
Dr. Fernando Hofilena
Ole Orbeta
Jesse Paredes
Gary Lising
Alex Hontiveros Sr.
Joey Leviste
Fr. Bert Ampil SJ
Sen. Dick Gordon
Baby Dalupan
(the late) Poch Estella
Dodie Agcaoili
Lawrence Gonzalez
Felix Flores
Jimmy Pestano
Ding Camua
Fr. Ray Holscher SJ
Jimmy Alabanza
Jun Jun Capistrano
Johnny Romualdez
Chito Afable
Jimmy Javier
Sev Sarmenta
Rene Banzon
Ralph Azanza
Atty. Eric Ingles
Ogie Narvasa
Chito Narvasa
Mhel Garrido
Danny Francisco
Commissioner Ramon Felipe


There were many others who weren’t able to make it to the tapings like Steve Watson, Olsen Racela, Rico Villanueva, as well as former foes Kurt Bachmann and Bonny Carbonell to name a few.

By the way, former Green Archer Joaqui Trillo made a cameo appearance on the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry.

The outtakes are just so awesome. I don’t have most of them since it was turned over after the project, but the Gary Lising sub-chapters are hilarious. They don’t appear in the final product by the way (but I do have them in the director’s cut).

We’re planning to expand this in book format and Jimmy Alabanza – sir, I’m sorry it’s taking forever – is just waiting for a quotation on the budget then we’ll be off and running in time for the Sesquicentennial.

In the director's cut version, Ole Orbeta did an impromptu number on the Ateneo Cadet Corps March song:
"With a shout with a song
we will help the boys along
under banners of white and fair blue.
While we do while we dare,
proudly waving everywhere
are the banners of white and fair blue..."
Man, Mr. Orbeta was teary-eyed when he sang this and he left every one of the production crew teary-eyed as well.

The Blue Voices chapter is really inspiring and uplifting. I ended it with a quote from Baby Dalupan. A quote he first uttered after a leading the Blue Eagles to victory in the 1970's. I thought it would make a perfect end to this.

I had so much fun doing this in spite of all the problems. The most rewarding though was forming friendships with Fr. Bert Ampil who I used to be so afraid of back in high school, coach Baby Dalupan -- he forgave me for being a Toyota fan, Alex Hontiveros Sr. who in spite of his age is full of boundless energy - Mabuhay kayo, sir!, Dodie Agcaoili and Johnny Romualdez - my dad's classmates, Jimmy Alabanza -- who is still a deadshot after all these decades, Atty. Eric Ingles who can be real funny, and Tito Panlilio. And Mr. Capistrano of course!

While all this was going on, I worked with former Blue Eagle Dave Dualan, a cool dude himself, on the Ultimate Showdown games of two years ago. I was his Deputy Commissioner for those Ateneo-La Salle Dream games. It was a great and fun time. Too bad we lost both those games until the December games where our pros beat their pros.

That was real great coz during one scrimmage at Green Meadows, I found myself playing with Jojo Lastimosa, Steve Watson, Chito Afable, Joy Carpio, Gabby Cui, Gene Afable, Ogie Narvasa and others on the court at one time. Yes, I scored a pair of baskets. Hahaha. I can hold my own naman, no? Hahahaha defensive! I played with Atty. Ogie in the ABL where our team won a division title. That Sunday Moro Lorenzo group of ours also had another team where my other teammates were Chito Loyzaga, Joy Carpio, and Fritz Gaston among many others. I was "da kid" on that group. Bwahaha!

I'm trying to find a way to upload the quickie video I did for our Blue Booters three-peat year. It was shown during the bonfire. Anyone know how to convert DVD into a youtube acceptable format?

A perfect companion piece to the DVD is ANIMO ATENEO, an oral history in CD (a two-disc set) of Ateneo 's early years all the way to 1983; right before Ninoy Aquino was shot. It features many of the Ateneans of yesteryear. My dad produced this CD as part of his batch's Jubilee year. I was in 3rd year high and I did some voice overs here. Hahaha.

Among the cast here: the late Alfred Xeres-Burgos, the late Vic Silayan, Noel Trinidad, Subas Herrero, Gary Lising, Ramon "RJ" Jacinto, Fr. James B. Reuter SJ, Dick Gordon (when he was still Mayor of Olongapo), and lots of others.

We still have stocks of these and they sell for P250 bucks.














Larry Fonacier's last year in blue. That's me holding up the "Thanks, Larry" sign. We did the same last year with JC, Doug, and Macky. But this year, not sure if I can do that for Ford, Zion, and Yuri (and Chris?) since I'm on the floor.