School sports

CEBU - Before anything else, please allow me to put this announcement before today’s column.

The car raffle draw organized by the UP High School in Cebu Alumni Association, which was set for December 6, 2008, has been postponed to January 30, 2009.

The first prize at stake in the raffle is a Kia Sportage while second prize is a Kia Carens and third prize a Honda motorcycle. Tickets are only P500 each.

Get in touch with any member of the alumni board, including this deadline beater, who now sits as 2nd vice president, for any questions, or better yet, to buy more tickets hehehe.

* * *

I received a letter yesterday from Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez about Cebu’s hosting of the 58th Technical Committee and 45th Management Committee Biennial Meetings of the ASEAN School Sports Council.

This will be taking place at the Cebu Midtown Hotel starting today until Saturday.

There are participants from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

In our country, the schools are the breeding grounds for the national athletes as these are the only institutions that have a budget and a program that is in place for such. While some local government units have taken the extra step, the schools remain as the best place for our athletes.

It will be interesting to know what would transpire in this gathering.

* * *

In the Philippines, there is a perennial problem of mixing education and sports and this is basically due to issues about the school calendar and the calendar of events of the various sporting bodies.

Among the members of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI), this has been addressed, but there are still some kinks in the system. What is very good is the fact that the organization knows the problem.

The same could not be said about many other sporting events and organizations.

I have come across many sporting events that had problems with participants due to conflicts in the schedule of exams and schools not allowing their students to join a particular event since they also have a major activity on the same day.

The solution to this matter is not going to be very simple as it would take a lot of people to work together so we can make it happen. 

There are really a lot of people who have the genuine desire to develop sports, but then we have to be practical when we face the problem.

How many times have I heard sportsmen lament that the schools don’t cooperate? I have long lost count. 

One thing that many experts have also seen as a problem with the Philippines are the long class hours that limit the time for children to take part in sports activities. 

This is not a case of simply having more time to play, but more of an improved approach to education that will give the school children more balanced activities.

Many countries are doing this, so why can’t we? Lack of political will? Nah, I think it is simply just laziness.

* * *

Today, my high school class will be coming home to UP Cebu to have lunch with the faculty. This would also be the time for us to share our blessings with the alma mater.

If you happen to be a member of UP High School batch ’85, whether a graduate or not, please join us this 11:30 at the UP High School faculty room. See you! (THE FREEMAN)