She stood tall against the silhouette of trees, one arm clutching a gun, the other holding on to a nearby branch. Her eyes, masked by camouflage, scanned the dense foliage of the forest—on the lookout for fellow tributes. A rustle of leaves on her left made her turn; her stance on the defensive as a barrage of water came shooting at her. She screeched, launching a water balloon at her nemesis, trying to stun the assailant while grabbing his life ribbon.

Welcome to JEST Camp’s Hunger Games.

ONE OF JEST CAMP’S GUIDE MAKING FIRE USING BAMBOO

The morning started out early even with the previous night’s drinking binge. We slept like logs at Subic JEST Camp’s Barracks, grumbling and fighting off sleep as we were herded like zombies to the Kawayan Kitchen for breakfast. After a filling meal, we started for the camp grounds and had a refresher on jungle survival training, which the camp is known for. This was to be our prelude for the coming Hunger Games.

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CHOOSING OUR DISTRICTS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES

TIME FOR US TO MAKE OUR OWN FIRE

ARCHERY ANYONE? NOT AS EASY AT IT SEEMED

Picking our tribute names from a bamboo container, we then moved to the forest area to apply what we had learned from the survival trainers. We tried our hands on making fire from bamboos, erecting makeshift shelters, setting up traps, and shooting arrows.

It was quite tiring to say the least, and with that, we’re back at Kawayan Kitchen for a well-deserved boodle fight lunch.

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CAMOUFLAGING OURSELVES, BLINDFOLDED

READY TO ROCK AND ROLL

The group rested a bit before we were again herded on a remote part of JEST Camp. We were lined up and blindfolded. A canister of paint was handed out to us and we were ordered to put it all over the exposed parts of our body, a camouflage of sorts against our enemies. The real Jest Camp Hunger Games was starting.

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TO THE FOREST!

Still blindfolded, we were sitted aboard a van and was let out on one of the more forested areas of Subic Bay. Clutching each other for directions, we stumbled upon a dirt road, walking blind for several meters before feeling the surefootedness of concrete on our soles once again.

WELCOME TO JEST CAMP’S HUNGER GAMES

Standing on a log platform, we each raised our hands and formed the three-finger District 12 salute. Then our masks were taken off. From once were friends, we were now enemies. Each one a team of his own. Everyone wanting only one thing; to win this Hunger Games match.

THE DASH TO THE CORNUCUPIA

MAD SCRAMBLE FOR WEAPONRY

A whistle rang out against the stillness of the forest and everyone dashed for the cornucopia where weapons lay. In it were the instruments for winning this game; water pistols and water balloons. It was a mad scramble as everyone shoved and pushed. Some got two pistols, a few got none but cannon balls.

STILL FRIENDS

And then to the forest it was. It wasn’t your cutesy forest with manicured shrubs and aligned rows of trees, but rather a real one with towering age-old trees and uneven footing thick with dried leaves and gnarly roots. There were no trails and you can literally disappear from the view of your enemies.

FRIENDS NO MORE! HUNGER GAMES HAS STARTED

Another whistle rang in the air and the Jest Camp Hunger Games officially started.

Each tribute had a different strategy to win the game. Some dashed for the cover of the trees, finding a spot to hide, while a few readily pursued other tributes, hurling water bombs and squirting water guns, hoping to quickly snatch one of the three life ribbons of their opponents.

THE FOREST FIGHT

ONE RIBBON EQUALS TO ONE LIFE

Friendships were forgotten as each one tried to grab for their competitor’s life ribbons; tumbling and rolling along the forest floor, struggling to keep their lives intact. It was fun, but the fight for ribbons pumped up everyone’s aggression level.

DO NOT MESS WITH THY GUN

FIRE, STUN, AND GRAB!

After a while, ribbons were lost and water bombs were spent (a headshot equals a ribbon). Soon the game revolved around the tributes from District 9, District 5, and District 2. And all three decided to hide it out for the rest of the game.

A final whistle screamed through the forest and the fighting (or hiding) finally ended.

THE FINAL SHOWDOWN

To decide the Hunger Games winner, a final showdown was set between the three tributes. A jostling sort of game where each one would need to back-push his opponent outside a ring without losing hold of his water bombs.

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR

And when all was said and done, points were computed all the way from the training stage to the final one until only a single tribute remained. The tribute from District 9 is the Hunger Games winner and she would be competing for the Quarter Quell where all of JEST Camp’s game winners of the year would fight it out.

Hail JEST Camp’s Hunger games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!

Subic JEST Camp Hunger Games
Address: Upper Mau, Cubi-Triboa, Freeport Zone, Subic, Zambales
Contact Number: (047) 252-1489 | (02) 218-9023 | (0917) 531-0993
Email: contact@jestcamp.com | Facebook
Opening Hours: 08:30 AM – 5:00 PM Daily
GPS Coordinates Map: 14.791979, 120.294341