Exactly a week ago, The Thrillmaker was put in a situation that had him on the receiving end not just of thrill but something even death-defying, in a literal sense. He nearly lost his life on (and then off) a pageant stage in the Municipality of Balagtas, Province of Bulacan.

I now consider myself truly blessed for being able to still write about my experience, which is harrowing, or in other words, acutely distressing.

Just before Holy Week, I was invited to Chair the judging panel for the town’s municipal pageant, which was held last Easter Sunday. Out of my love for the people who invited me to the event (including a former Binibining Pilipinas hopeful I coached during her national competition) and just so I could help motivate young dreamers to pursue their pageant dreams, I obliged.

Our call time was 2 pm to give way to a “no makeup” preliminary judging of the candidates, which started promptly the moment I arrived in the town’s new municipal hall.  On hand to welcome me was the local beauty queen who invited me and a certain Gian Gonzales, who was supposed to be the municipal mayor’s nephew. He was said to be the one in charge of the pageant from which production team members got their budgets.  Mr. Gonzales did not engage in much tete-a-tete with us as, understandably, he must have been busy calling the shots for the event at that time.  The prelims went on smoothly and ended around 4 pm, when the judges were fed their only complete meal for the entire duration of their stay in Balagtas. 

At around 7 pm, a shuttle vehicle picked us up from the municipal hall to bring us to the competition venue in a nearby Balagtas Complex.  The moment I got to the venue, I already noticed a major flaw in the stage design. The elevated stage, about 5 feet in height, will have participants maneuvering across three narrow runways separated by two large rectangular pits. I told myself, this is a disaster; I am just waiting for it to happen.

The pageant proceeded and ended with the usual crowning of winners. Asked to crown the night’s proclaimed Ginoo and Binibini, I went up the stage, did what I had to, and took my photo with other judges and the outgoing winners. After the photo ops, I turned to the side to congratulate all the other winners and participants onstage and assure them they all did a great job.  

Given the dizzying stage lights (including those that were shining from beneath the pit) and the people already starting to crowd the stage (it also didn’t help that I am naturally movement impaired with a challenged vision—making me a certified person with disability (PWD) - yes I got the PWD ID card, too!), As I descended, I fell through one of the pits and hit my head hard on the stage’s metal framing. I thought I was going to die at that time.  People started gathering around me immediately (mostly concerned audience members), with some crying out: “medic.”  I took the time to stay in the pit to shake off my shock and not to get the attention of the just-proclaimed pageant winners.  I didn’t want to make a scene, which could have been the case if I allowed myself to be wheeled out of the venue on the emergency bed brought and offered by Mr. Gonzales.  As soon as I regained some composure, I allowed those who tried to extend help to prop me out of the pit.  People asked me if I was okay after that, but I could only give them a sarcastic remark for asking what was nonsensical to me; I said: “Yeah, I’m okay.  Ang sakit ng ulo ko eh.” Then, with a forced laugh, I would add: “Syempre, hindi.”

Knowing that I needed immediate medical attention, I knew I had to be brought right away to the nearest hospital.  I left the venue, having no one but me (and two fellow judges and a friend) to rush me to the emergency room to get myself checked and see just how extensive my injuries were. While X-rays taken showed no bones fractured or cracked, the back of my head is swollen and hurts up to now. Doctors also placed me under close observation for five days (it’s been five days since) for any adverse effects that may manifest just in case my brain suffered some internal bleeding. However, without having undergone a CT scan, doctors say I am still not sure whether or not I’ll eventually suffer medical complications as some head injuries could manifest months after the incident.

As I am writing this, I have yet to fully recover from the physical and emotional trauma I suffered, which has deprived me of a relaxing sleep (the incident keeps on replaying in my dreams every time I close my eyes). To this day, none from the municipal government has personally approached me to check how I am.

Balagtas, Bulacan’s Municipal Mayor, Eladio E. Gonzales, Jr., has already posted what was supposed to be a letter of apology on his Facebook wall, saying: “We extend our sincerest apologies to Mr. Guilas for the distress and inconvenience caused by the incident.” However, he was also quick to defend his office’s inaction and inattention on the incident, emphasizing: “(He) assured us that he was ok. We took his words at face value at that moment and trusted that he was indeed fine.”  The mayor reiterated the absence of any follow-ups in the succeeding days: “We genuinely believed that he was okay based on his assurance.”

He also defended the stage design by citing that it is a similar set-up used in other pageants and fashion shows, probably unmindful of the fact that not all who were up on that stage are models or pageant candidates who are used to sashay on such narrow runways and were not given the chance to do practice walks on the crowded small stage.  Insisting that their team even placed extra lights inside the pit as additional safety measures, the kind mayor probably has forgotten that lights shining from beneath can hit those on stage on the eyes and may have a blinding effect.  Moreso, can people imagine what greater damage I could have experienced if those lights hit me in the face as I went down?  Rather than being safety nets, those lights could have even been added hazards.

I sure hope people understand what taking responsibility and being accountable mean. When someone apologizes for a misdeed, it must be done unconditionally and without any prejudice to the person who has fallen victim in the first place.  That’s victim blaming.  Victim blaming happens when the victim of a crime or a wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them.

I don’t stand to gain anything from bringing up this issue and making it public.  I don’t need a tentative apology aimed at defending and protecting one's interest.  Responsible governance is fully accepting accountability for all actions, including misdeeds, good calls, or total inaction, leading to eventual consequences.  Taking my word at face value, at such a distressful time and without any valid opinion from a medical expert, is not an excuse for the absence of positive action. That is gross negligence.   

Calling on our officials from the Department of Tourism to look into these kinds of local events that may be done poorly and with proper regard to the safety of hospitality visitors.  These types of incidents can leave a bad name and image to our guests; the Department of Interior and Local Government for the kind and qualifications of people being appointed to leadership positions in LGUs; and the Commission on Audit to ensure that proper disbursement of funds is, indeed, being done in the local level.  I remember the judges being handed a token of P5,000 each as honorarium after the pageant without asking us to sign any acknowledgment receipt documents.  

Poet Francisco Balagtas, after whom the municipality has been named after, once wrote: “Ang buhay ng isang taong dakila ay dapat maging huwaran.” What a shame some people can be to this great literary figure’s ideals!