The Story Behind the Nickname Pamps

Many of my friends ask me why I was nicknamed Pamps. If you don't know my real name, well, its Florante. Pamps is very far from Florante right? There were many speculations on the stories behind the origin of such nick. Some said that a diaper was found in my my bag which has brand name "Pampers" but this is not true. Now let me just tell you the story.

It started out when I was in high school. I was informed by my classmates that there is an ongoing try-out for the "Milo Best Center - Tournament". This is a baskeball tournament commissioned by Milo and one of its venues is in Legazpi City. The schools were invited to join the tournament but only 4 schools dared to join. Our school was one of them. The others were Aquinas University High School, Divine Word College of Legazpi High School and United Institute.

Knowing that our school is to compete in this ball game, I dared to try out. I remember when I was in elementary I tried out for this tournament but was not chosen. I only placed 16th in that try out but they only get 15 players, hence, I did not qualify. In the BUCELHS try out, I met the brother of my classmate Albert Orozco, his name is Serafin Orozco III (their father Serafin Orozco Jr. became our Professor in the College of Engineering in the same school and Albert also became a classmate of mine.) Now as we were warming up, Serafin noticed that I pump first before I grab the rebound so he said, "Hey! You are pumping! Pumpers!

There it all started. I was nicknamed Pumpers but some friends shortened it to Pamps and I preferred it over the original and they preferred it too as it was shorter. I was admitted to be one of the players to compose team Bicol University College of Education Laboratory High School. I became popular to the field of sports in our school but not in the field of basketball but because of chess. I even became one of the "Athlete of the Year" awardee when I was in fourth year. The legacy lives on until college for Albert and my classmates in high school became my classmates in college and I use it until now. That is the true story.

Just a bit of trivia. We played in the tournament but never won a game. We lost all our three games. But do you know the most improved basketball player of that tournament? It is non other than my team mate Jason Misolas, then became a Palarong Pambansa Player, played for the San Juan De Letran College and was a scholar, played in the PBL for various teams and now playing for the Coca Cola Tigers as a professional basketball player. Ask him my name and he will never forget the story.

That's all folks! I hope it's now clear! I'll let them read this article if they ask. See you around!