Fit for the festival

The Sinulog celebration is for those who are healthy. If you are not, you either stay home or when you’re out you could be very irritable or would not enjoy the festivities.

I am not saying that only the healthy are entitled to such festival, I am just being very honest considering the events that past week and the difficulty of going from one place to another.

Even when you are driving, you need to be healthy enough to sit through the congested traffic, and of course your vehicle must also be in good running condition or you’ll compound the traffic problem if it bogs down.

Tomorrow, I plan to walk the route of the grand parade again after so many years. The last time I was at the route was back in 1996 when I hosted the live coverage of SkyCable TV along with Haide Acuña, who was then my student at Saint Theresa’s College.

I am hoping I am fit enough to walk. Well, I went to Dr. Laurence Lim of Sugbu Medical for my weekly rehab yesterday and I hope that the dreaded back pains won’t force me to head back to the office after only a few hours on the parade route.

I also heard of friends complain about the difficulty of playing in the Coral Invitational at the Cebu Country Club due to the bad weather yesterday.

I know you are wishing for good weather today and so are many others as the solemn procession will be held this afternoon.

If you want to avoid the traffic, leave your house in the morning and stay where you want to be for the whole day as some roads will be closed after lunch for the procession.

I guess those who are running buffs have the big edge during these times. They can travel on foot from one place to another with ease, unless of course when it’s raining or when it’s too hot.

If you think you are not fit enough for all the action, it would be best to just position yourself some place where you can still pay homage to the Santo Niño during the solemn procession and enjoy the colors of the festival in tomorrow’s parade.

Keep a close watch of your belongings also as there are some unscrupulous individuals wanting to make a killing during these days.

Two more final tips – wear sunscreen and drink lots of fluid to stay hydrated.

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With the Coral Invitational entering its final day today, I close my coverage of the event, which is one of those I look forward to every year as a sports journalist.

I won’t exactly close and stop writing about it or stop publishing the pictures, it’s just that I won’t be roaming around the course trying to find pictures to shoot or harass the people at the scoring early evenings asking them to send me the scores for the day.

These are all part and parcel of my life as a sports journalist. Many envy me for having so much fun with what I do, but there are also many who think I am nuts for sticking to this job, which doesn’t pay as much as other corporate positions.

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MILESTONES: I am wishing our squad leader and kuya of the PMA Cebu Squad, Sr. Supt. Augusto Morales Marquez, Jr., who we refer to as MarQ, a very happy birthday.

The same greetings go to his squadmate Engr. Anastacio Salera, Jr. as well as to my mistahs Ramon Lihay-lihay and William Peñafiel, Jr. and also to my Tao sister, Jocelyn ‘Jojo’ Densing.

Tomorrow’s greetings go to my foster brother, Lt. Col. Rozzano Briguez of the Air Force, San Remigio’s next mayor Nino Bascon, and my friends Risa Fe Mabuyo-Palacio and Trisha Raffiñan.

Belated greetings go to my niece Nikaela Randi Quiñones, who turned 8 years old yesterday.

More power to all of you!   (FREEMAN NEWS)