My 5 and Up Life
by Ian Tugas

For those who don't know who I am,
I'd gladly introduce myself.

My name is Christian Gomez Tugas.
People call me Ian for short.
I'm 15 years old
and my natal day is on the 7th of February 1983.

I like doing a lot of things,
but the thing I'm busy with now are my studies
and 5 and Up, a show for children like you and me.

Okay, enough with introductions!
Let's now get to the exciting side of myself...my 5 and Up life.

I spent three of the best years of my life with 5 and Up.
It made me a better student -- a better person.
It also made me a good friend.
I guess you can say it has changed me entirely.

I've learned a lot from 5 and Up --
things I could never have learned
and experienced without it.

I've been to a lot of places these past years:
Batanes, Mindanao, Batangas,
and recently, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

I've been to different fiestas and urban celebrations.
I've eaten exotic food and climbed trees and mountains.
I've also reachedd the underwater world because of my scuba diving stories
(see, I've even learned how to dive!)

If you're going to ask me of my favorite stories,
I would have to say...all of them.
I say this because for every story I did,
every person I met and interviewed,
and everywhere I went, I learned new things.

But, from all of them, I can also say
that the most enjoyable of my stories
were those wherein I had other reporters with me.

Aside from the different places I've visited,
and the people I've met,
5 and Up has given me more.

This show gave me a reason to stay young,
to enjoy my childhood.
It gave me a reason to share my talents
and to try to learn more.

Because of 5 and Up,
I consider myself fortunate to be a kid.
I was lucky to have had the chance to become part of 5 and Up.

Now, I am just waiting to join Atom, Chynna, Zak,
and all those who have graduated from 5 and Up.
Yep, it's time for me to leave the show
and give other kids a chance to go through what I've experienced.

My three-year stay in 5 and up
was really, really, really, really fun
and fruitful for me.
Although I'm disappointed because I didn't join the show when I was just 9 years old,
I'm still thankful for having been able to share myself with other people.

I'm really going to miss all my skits and silly costumes.
I'll miss my voice overs and shoots.
I'll miss Lolo Ian, Mr. Singsong
and all the characters I've portrayed on the show.

But, most of all,
I'm going to miss my friends here in 5 and Up:
Enzo, Paolo, Eliza, Jolly, Josh, Justine, Chiyomi, Jessica, and Maxx.

I'm also sure
that I'm going to miss my ates and kuyas,
whom I've worked with and spent three years of my life with.

I know that I still have a life ahead of me,
but I also know that it would be really different, from now on.

All I can say is thank you
to all the people who have supported and loved me.
And I want to say,
I love you, too.
 

Until then, this is Ian Tugas, signing off (sniff!)
 
 

Ian Tugas graduated from 5 and Up June 1998