Patrons of basketball

Last Sunday we went to the UAAP games at the Mall of Asia Arena, with both the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the La Salle Green Archers winning their first games for the 75th season. The Green Archers have a new patron in the person of Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. who is from all indications sponsoring the team for the long haul.

The business tycoon, also known as ECJ, is putting in a lot of effort to prop up the team and make it do better than last year’s sixth place finish, even regularly attending the Green Archers’ practice sessions. He certainly knows what it takes to maintain a basketball team with the Ginebra Kings, The Beermen and other SMC teams in the pro leagues.

Danding says he does not intend to lose, but knows only too well like in business that it will take some time to get your investment back. One of the things he enjoys about being the Green Archers’ patron is taking part in building the boys for the future. To be the best is not just a matter of getting the best players but more importantly, making sure the players are supported physically, emotionally and academically, the last one being equally important since any player who will not live up to academic requirements can’t stay with the team. To this end, tutors are on hand to help the players with their studies.

People who know ECJ are not surprised at the focus on education even in the area of sports. Several years ago, the Eduardo Cojuangco Foundation established a scholarship program for poor but bright students in Tarlac, providing them not just free tuition but monthly stipends, book allowances and the assurance that they will be helped with jobs after graduation.

ECJ’s scholarships have also been extended to over 2,000 public school teachers via Project FREE (Flagships to Reach Educational Excellence) in the master and doctorate levels. Some P42 million was set aside for this program in partnership with La Salle and the Department of Education, and we were told that this is being looked at as a model that could be replicated in many parts of the country to promote quality education by “educating” public school teachers and raising public school standards as a consequence.

“Every child who aspires to improve his or her family’s life should have the same opportunities that a solid education provides – a solid education that can only come from well-trained and well-informed teachers,” he said during the recent graduation of the Project FREE graduates.

Like Danding Cojuangco, the Blue Eagles’ perpetual patron Manny Pangilinan also has projects that go beyond providing educational scholarships for children, like the Gabay Guro or 2G program of the PLDT-Smart Foundation that provides educational grants as well as English proficiency and computer literacy training to thousands of teachers all over the country. An interesting component of the program includes additional livelihood opportunities for these teachers through micro-financing. The way I see it, it’s actually a two-pronged approach aimed at uplifting public school education by helping uplift the welfare of teachers via training and livelihood opportunities. According to MVP, the 2G program’s objective is to “spread the gift of learning.”

Although the UAAP season’s opening was at the MOA Arena where many of the games will be played, the other half will be held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, which will give the Green Archers a slight psychological advantage considering that both Jorge Araneta and Hans Sy are from La Salle.

The Blue Eagles team is dead set on winning its fifth straight championship this season, but the rivalry with the Green Archers is not likely to diminish especially with the entry of Ambassador Danding Cojuangco into the picture. People are looking forward to intense performances from both teams when they face each other for the first time on July 28. Although Ateneo is considered to be the llamado team at this time, the initial face-off will definitely be as exciting as a championship game.

(Disclosure: I went to both Ateneo and La Salle. Both Manny Pangilinan and Danding Cojuangco are my personal friends.)

Rivalry: The second run

Still on Ateneo and La Salle, “Rivalry: Ateneo-La Salle The Musical” is set for its second run starting January 25, 2013 at the Meralco theater. The material is an original production by Atenean Ed Gatchalian who is co-producing the musical with the 4^th Wall Theater Company once again. Directed by Jaime del Mundo and with lyrics by Joel Trinidad, the production has had 38 successful performances during its first run.

Set in 1968 when Ateneo and La Salle were still both part of the NCAA, the story tells about the Basilio and Valencia families, whose sons belong to the rival teams. But more than just basketball, the musical – which showcases the thespian talents of Filipino theater actors – delves on life, love and relationships, which should make it very interesting to many Filipinos.

Ed promises that the second run will be even better than the initial run, with special appearances by well known La Sallites and Ateneans.

Spy tidbit

At the games last Sunday were regular spectators former Chief Justice Renato Corona and his wife Cristina. Rene noticeably has lost a lot of weight. It was very evident that in previous games almost everyone would troop towards the former chief justice whenever and wherever he is spotted. But the sad reality when one   is no longer in a position of power – less people greet you. Worse, they try to look the other way.

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