Water sports for survival

I am not much of a swimmer, but growing up, I loved the water and spent a lot of times on the beach with my family and friends.

Yesterday’s heavy downpour that kept me on the road for more than an hour trying to find a way out of the flooded streets, further strengthened my resolve to help push water sports for us Filipinos.

Swimming and rowing would be sporting events where we might have a chance of winning medals in the international stage, they too could be skills needed for us to survive the harsh weather conditions that we face.

Of course, it would help a lot if our government would clear the waterways of obstructions without bias.

* * *

The 18th Business in Golf was held yesterday at the Cebu Country Club and unfortunately for those who teed off late, they were drenched when the heavy rain fell.

I covered the first edition of the BiG and have not missed a single one yet. I may not have played every year, since I picked up the game, but have always made sure to support this event, which is one of the sidelights of the Cebu Business Month celebration.

This is a project of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and different people have already chaired this tournament through the past 18 years.

When the chairman is a good friend of mine, I usually could not say no when they ask me to help out, just like yesterday when on short notice I was asked to be the master of ceremonies for the awards night.

Supporting the event is supporting Cebu business, so it’s not really a tough decision to make. It is even harder to decide to use your mulligan or not if you want a comparison.

To the organizers of the BiG, the rain must have been a blessing. Yes, a blessing for those teams that finished early as the playing conditions became tough for those who played later in the day hehehe…

* * *

The other day, I had the chance to talk to lawyer Dionisio Cañete at the Doce pares headquarters in Santo Niño Village, barangay Banilad, this city.

The Supreme Grand-master of Eskrima told me that he is now building a temple near the site of their zip line in mountain barangays of Cebu City.

The temple, he said shall serve as a repository for the relics of the Filipino martial art, which is one of Cebu’s top exports.

If you don’t know it yet, hundreds of foreigners come here every year to learn more about the art of stick fighting at the various arnis clubs here.

Many of our top instructors are also travelling around the world to teach the martial art.

Let us be proud of this indigenous Filipino martial art and practice it or encourage our children to learn even the basics.

Knowledge of martial arts also helps form better citizens, but that is if you let them learn in schools that put emphasis on the cultural aspect of the martial art and not merely being able to fight.

* * *

MILESTONES: Belated birthday greetings to my Tao brother Raymund ‘Jiggy Jr.’ Cerna, who turned a year older last Friday.

Today’s greetings go to my aunt Sonia Labrador-Peral.

Advance greetings got to Ma. Theresa ‘Matet’ Niere, Julienne Eva Guanzon, Riza Balgos, and my fellow judoka Mickey Arroyo (not the congressman), who are all celebrating tomorrow.

More power to all of you!