Baseline Restaurant and Recreation Complex has always been something of a venue for sporting activity for me.
Through the close to 19 years that I have spent as a sports journalist, I go to the place to cover various sports activities from press conferences to actual competitions.
I have also been to several editions of the SAC-SMC All-Cebu Sports Awards held there and received one of the two “judo athlete of the year” trophies that I won at Baseline.
Last Saturday, I was back at Baseline not for sports, but for a night of music with the big names of radio and television drama from Cebu. I was invited by no less than Noy Emil Rizada, president of the Cebu United Radio and TV Artists (CURTA) Corp., to their post-Valentine’s concert.
Noy Emil is a living legend in Cebu’s radio industry along with my broadcasting mentor Virginia ‘Maam Ginny’ Vamenta, who was also at Baseline last Saturday night.
I got in a little late so I missed the numbers of Sam Costanilla and Dante Luzon, but caught up with the song numbers of Noy Iking Fernandez and the magic accordion performance of Bebe Rizada, Noy Emil’s brother.
One of the highlights of the evening was the performance of Athens Engracia with her mom Elaine on the piano. Athens is the daughter of Cebu’s popular singing doctor, Warfe Engracia.
Although I had spent a part of last Saturday morning and most of the afternoon under the rain to be with my son as he competed at the Thirsty Football Cup, the few hours I spent at Baseline was something that may not have eased the pain of my aching muscles, but was surely good for the heart.
To Noy Emil and his wife Maam Rose, the wonderful parents of my classmate Eileen, and to the rest of the CURTA members, thanks for a wonderful night and I wish that more people would come forward and support the group member – the legends of Cebu radio and TV drama.
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MILESTONES: Somebody with a real passion for the sport that he enjoys turns a year older today. If you talk of passion about basketball, I guess Chester Cue Cokaliong is up there among those who really eat, breathe, and play the game.
Chester continues to play ball with guys so much younger than him and he’s probably one of their favorite people to guard most especially when he’s on the three-point area. Having covered many of his games for television, I’ve seen how shooting threes seem to look so easy.
I wish you, my good friend, to continue hitting those triples not only in the basketball court, but also in your business and family life.
Birthday greetings also go to my high school classmate, Atty. Albert Yap Veloso. My wish for you is for a child to be born this year.
More power to both of you!