Saturday, March 20, 2010

CALL ME RARE

A movie buff and voracious reader, I am a man of letters. During my MA, I was diagnosed to be unfit for research but received the Excellence in Research Award for my thesis, An Assessment of Cor Jesu College Educational Technology Program: Basis of a Proposed Development Program. I am a paradox - living in both extreme fields of literature and journalism.

As a playwright and stage director, I had written and directed several plays, such as: LISO (seed), a community day presentation in Cor Jesu College; BANTAYOG (monument), a commemoration of the 100 years of Philippine Independence; and BUDYONG (conge), a pilgrimage story for the local celebration of the Jubilee 2000 in the Diocese of Digos, and other commissioned works for community presentation. I had also adapted several literary pieces, such as BIDASARI (Malayan epic), which is premised on the belief that life will be lengthened if kept by non-human living things; and SINAG-TALA (Fr. Reuter’s The Star), a Christmas story from the point of view of the girl, Veronica.

As a videographer, my works include milestones such those of Monsignor Gimmy Afable’s IN TRUTH AND COMPASSION; Cor Jesu College’s COR JESU: 45 YEARS HENCE; and the Cor Jesu-DepEd-BEAM’s WHEN LIFE BEAMS, a documentary on the aftermath of the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao - Lumads Integrated Functional Education.

As a journalist, I am a three-time recipient of Outstanding School Paper Adviser given by the National School Paper Advisers Association for making the COR JESU PULSE, a high school publication, Outstanding School Paper for three years during the National Schools Press Conferences in 1994, 1996 and 2003.

My work ranges from being a classroom teacher for ten years (1988 t0 1998), a personal assistant of one of the Philippines’ premiere writers - Mr. Ricardo "Ricky" Lee, then creative assistant of Ricky Lee in ABS-CBN, then back to school as director of the Educational Technology Center for three years (2000 to 2003), and principal of the Basic Education Department - grade school and high school combined (2003 to 2007).

Born on December 3 , 1962— I am still single yet very much involved in family affairs. Being the only one in the family to have reached and finished a higher education diploma, I act as father to all my brothers and sisters and the ever affectionate "daddy" to all my nieces and nephews.

I am Lorenzo Balili Jr. But my showbiz colleagues call me Jaybee. I am your new friend. Call me Rare.

4 comments:

  1. To all my friends and visitors, please leave a short note, comment, reaction or feedback. I wish to improve my posts every now and then. Everything and anything that you leave here will be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

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  2. Jun, Jaybee, Rare... however people may call you... Thank you! If not for your patience, I would have still been inside my closet - too scared to put down in words how I feel and what's on my mind.

    Hope to see you soon!!! Hugs and hugs!

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  3. Hi be! Congrats on your new blog! Keep on writing as your talent should be shared with the world. :) My blog is at www.meivelas.wordpress.com (please visit when you have the time ha). I will add your site in my Blogroll. God bless!

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  4. Sir Jaybee, you are one amazing and extraordinary person and you have been a great influence in my life. You have nurtured my passion for writing and this is the reason why I am still writing until now. You certainly are RARE!

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