[Shown at LEFT is the ALLIANCE TEAM; while shown at RIGHT is the LEGIT STATUS TEAM, two (2) hiphop teams who will represent the Philippines in the 2017 WORLD HIPHOP INTERNATIONAL CONTEST to be held in Phoenix, Arizona on August 6-12, 2017 at the ARIZONA GRAND RESORT & SPA. LET US ALL PRAY THAT THEY BRING HOME THE GOLD! The ALLIANCE Team will compete in the MEGA CREW DIVISION; while the LEGIT STATUS Team will compete in both the MEGA CREW and the VARSITY Divisions.]
Mula noong taong 2006 ang aking si SHAYNA’y1 MAPILIT,
Makalahok sa WORLD HIPHOP2 na animo’y PAGSUSULIT3;
Bilang TEAM MEMBER ng UP STREET4,
Syempre bagito, sila’y di naka-PLACE!
Ngunit noong 2012, UP STREET5 ay nag-CHAMPION,
Matagal na inasam… isang makahulugang ASPIRASYON;
Naulit ngang muli noong 20136 ay nag-RUNNER-UP,
Tunay na ang MITHI nila’y masidhing na PUMPED-UP!
Ngayong sila’y meron nang mga sariling KOPONAN,
Si SHAYNA ay ang LEGIT7, na ang COACH ay aking MANUGANG8;
Si CHESKA naman ay sa ALLIANCE,9
Nag-RUNNER-UP sa WORLD HIPHOP kamakailan10!
Kaya nga’t taon-taon ay WHHI ang syang PUNTAHAN11,
Palagiang PALIGSAHAN na hindi
INUURUNGAN;
Masaya din po naman, nakakahawa ang KASIYAHAN,
Lalo na’t kapag PHILIPPINE TEAM na syang makikita sa TANGHALAN12!
Sa PALIGSAHANG parating, nitong 2017—
Malaki ang pag-asa kong mag-kakampeon ang Philippine Team;
Hindi dahil sa sila’y malapit sa aking PUSO,
Ang tunay na dahilan, batikan sila’t PAMBATO!
Kaya nga marahil at mistulang OKEY,
Tayo’y magpakita ng suporta bagamat parang “HOKEY”13;
Dahil nga naman na ang HIPHOP ay U.S. made 14,
Pero sa ngayon halos tinatalo natin ang mga taga STATE 15!
Ang isang di ko makaligtaang tanawin,
Kapag PHILIPPINE TEAM na ang syang DANCIN16;
Tatayo na ang karamihan at iwawagayway mga KAMAY,
Hawak ang CELLPHONE na umiilaw, senyal na sila’y PINOY/PINAY17!
MABUHAY!
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[Legend: 1 – Starting in 2006, my daughter Shayna commenced their quest to snatch the GOLD at the WORLD HIPHOP INTERNATIONAL CONTEST (“WHHI”) when they first participated in the 2006 WHHI held in Los, Angeles, California. During that quest, I mustered to involved my fraternity brothers of the PI OMICRON FRATERNITY to help in the logistics as well as in providing moral support to the VARSITY TEAM of the UP STREET DANCE composed of 12 members including my daughter, Winshayna aka SHAYNA. I also was able to wangle a deal with my kumpadre and friend, Mr. Willy Tee Ten, who lent to the team the use of their LOS ANGELES home. The UP STREET DANCE TEAM was supposed to sport head gear (actually caps with FORD-PHILIPPINES logo, as Mr. Willy Tee Ten was and still is the Preident of FORD-GLOBAL CITY); except that the caps did not timely arrive. With respect to the use of the term “MAPILIT”, it would accurately translate to “EAGERNESS” and the term “MAPILIT” was chosen to come up with some kind of a RHYME.
2 – WORLD HIPHOP INTERNATIONAL CONTEST (“WHHI”) is an international hip-hop dance competition created in 2002 by Hip Hop International. Countries that have participated in the past are Dominican Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Chile, Italy, Mexico, France, Japan, Switzerland, Morocco, Philippines, United Kingdom, China, Canada, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Malaysia, India, Colombia, South Africa, Nigeria, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Russia, Portugal, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, Uruguay, Thailand and the United States of America. There are four sections of competition: hip-hop for adult, varsity (ages 12–17), and junior (ages 7–12) crews, popping for solo dancers, locking for solo dancers, and breaking for adult crews. In August 2015, new countries, Gabon, Panama and South Korea, Kenya, among others, participated for the first time, joining a record 3000 contestants from 50 countries.
3 – The WHHI appears to be some kind of TEST which would sort of measure the skillfulness of the dance teams in the crucible of international competitions in the world stage.
4 – When Shayna entered the 2006 WHHI contest, she was then a member of the UP STREET DANCE TEAM. They did not enter the FINALS as they were then new comers in the international stage of world dance contests.
5 – In 2012, the UP STREET DANCE TEAM using their team name as THE CREW won the CHAMPIONSHIP crown in the ADULT DIVISION.
6 – In 2013, the UP STREET DANCE Team was adjudged RUNNER-UP winner in the MEGA CREW Division.
7 – LEGIT STATUS is the team name of Shayna’s team with my son-in-law, Vicente Miguel (“Vimi”) Rivera as its COACH. Shayna serves as Team Manager and Assistant Coach. Alee aka Winnalee, my youngest daughter is also a team member of Legit Status.
8 – “Manugang” means SON-IN-LAW, and that is Vimi Rivera, the skilful coach of LEGIT STATUS.
9 – ALLIANCE is the hiphop team of my other daughter, Cheska and this team is being COACHED by Cheska’ BOYFRIEND, Jayjay San Juan.
10 – The ALLIANCE Team emerged as RUNNER-UP WINNER in the Varsity Division of the 2016 WHHI held in Las Vegas, U.S.A.
11 – Every year, in August, the WHHI has become the favorite destination of hiphop dancers throughout the whole world including the Philippines.
12 – TANGHALAN is used here to refer to the INTERNATIONAL STAGE. In most of the WHHI that I attended, almost most of the teams would have a member with Philippine blood or ancestry. Once I remember that the Canadian team was all FIL-CAN and the US Team was also with FIL-AM members. And the contest venue will be on a heightened uproar every time a Philippine entry is performing ON STAGE.
13 – “HOKEY” means mawkishly sentimental. And every Filipino would certainly sound and feel sentimental (sometimes with tears forming in the lachrymal glands) when one would hear the cheering of the crowd rooting for the Philippine team performing their dance number on stage. 14 – The HIPHOP dance genre actually originated in the U.S.; but indeed it is truly exhilarating that we are almost beating the US teams in the WHHI. To date, since 2002, the Philippine team has been declared as WHHI Champion for 7 times already.
15 – STATE – the term STATE is customarily used in the Philippine setting, to refer to the United States of America.
16 – In August 2014, when I witnessed and watched the 2014 WHHI in Las Vegas, I almost wept and cried when the Philippine teams performed and almost 2/3 of the audience stood with their lighted cellphones on hand waving their hands and cheering non-stop for the Philippine teams. Actually, 3 Philippine teams battled plus 2 foreign teams (i.e. Legit Status was one among the 3 Philippine teams) for the top spot and the A-TEAM, a Philippine team coached by Ms. Angelica Arda, Ms. Arda being a former UP STREET DANCE; was declared WORLD CHAMPION. During that 2014 WHHI, Legit Status landed 4th among the best teams. In the 2015 WHHI, the Legit Status Team landed as RUNNER-UP in the Varsity Division.
17 – Yes, at that 2014 WHHI, about 2/3 of the crowd there at the venue, were PINOY or PINAY or with at least a Filipino ancestry.]
