Another regular weekend for Cebu sports

From the links of Mactan and the Cebu Country Club to the beaches and mountain trails of Liloan and on to the ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel and Casino. What’s up? Oh, just another regular weekend for Cebu sports.

In what is getting to be a norm for Cebu sports, three major events are taking place this weekend stamping (again) Cebu’s ID as a haven for sports. The PAL Interclub golf tournament had golfers from all over hitting Cebu’s golf courses for the past two weeks. Alta Vista and Club Filipino had the seniors shuttling from south to north last week, while the main draw golfers went east-west from Cebu Country Club to Mactan the past four days. This was a showcase for Cebuanos to show off the green side of the province, something for which we aren’t known. Up north in Lilo-an (our beloved hometown), international off-road triathletes brave the waters of the Lilo-an coast, bike over rocks, cliffs and trails, and then run more trails at the XTerra Philippines triathlon, the third straight year for Lilo-an to host the event. After having Amara as the base for the past two years, a new base along the highway was set up in Sea Front. This year’s race has a totally different route and over-all texture of a race. It’s thus a new look that Lilo-an provides. More nature here for a Cebu that has gotten to be known more for its lechon, the growing BPO (call center) industry, danggit and dried mangoes. And then we have yet another Pinoy Pride edition at the Waterfront, two names that have gotten to be a habit of a partnership for Cebu Boxing. For the nth, time, visiting boxers troop to Cebu to challenge Cebu’s best and last night’s fight is easily the biggest since the Gorres-Montiel and Gorres-Darchinyan fights.

So what again? It’s all about sports tourism, the other side of the tourism industry that isn’t hyped up and supported too much by the government but which actually gives a big boost to the Cebu economy. We always hear about the number of tourists who come to Cebu, don’t we? But do you ever hear the Department of Tourism, Philippine Sports Commission or PNoy himself talk about sports tourism? Just look at the numbers. At the PAL Interclub, the country’s top golf clubs are playing against each other in a friendly game of golf. We’re talking about most of the big golf/country clubs coming to Cebu for a week of golf, fun and camaraderie. And these aren’t the golfers who live off a “talay.” They are your working class golfers who all have day jobs or run businesses. Multiply this by the hundreds and you have instant tourists spending for hotel accommodations, transportation and food. Ditto for the all the pasalubong that they bring back to their wives and families (lechon included). They’ll also have a drink somewhere and might even watch some of our local bands perform. Sure looks like our food, hotel and retailers have already recovered easily from the post-Sinulog lean period. Did I hear the DOT Regional Director say “Kudos”?

The XTerra is another level higher. We’re talking about foreign and local triathletes coming over to test what Lilo-an has to offer. This is yet another surge of athlete-tourists who are spending their precious dollars on our economy. This time, we’re seeing topnotch triathletes, not just your regular triathletes who do it for fun. It’s a real competition with the complete mix of water, hills and trails. Hotels, restaurants and even spas will now get into the mix, plus the local push for the small towns like Lilo-an to step up and be recognized. My guess is that the local rosquillos, masi and Sunday food street will be a big hit among the athletes and visitors from abroad. Too bad Lilo-an doesn’t have too many hotels that can cater to all the visitors. Lilo-an’s local buko juice vendors should also get a spike in sales. Remember when F1 driver Jenson Button had his share last year? That was a big hit that could’ve been exploited. Do I hear the DOT again say something?

Pinoy Pride is different from the PAL Interclub and the XTerra in the sense that it doesn’t have hundreds of athletes coming over to compete in a tournament. While there are boxers coming over, they’re only a handful: a Mexican, a Thai and an Indonesian. But joining them are the travelling boxing fans who come to Cebu to watch the fights. You’ll notice people from all the way from Manila to Davao. While we aren’t at the level of a Las Vegas, Cebu Boxing has done its share of boosting tourism-related sales in the hospitality industry. Over the past five days, Formo, SM City, Parklane Hotel and the Waterfront Hotel have been the regular venues for activities. When boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera attended the weigh-in, fans and supporters made the SM Activity Center the buzz of town. He even managed to squeeze in time to chat with the local media not once, but twice. Did I hear the DOT say something again?

But that’s how it goes. Cebu Sports has learned that with or without the support of the government, the show must go on, and go on perfectly. After all, isn’t it just another day in the office for Cebu Sports?

***

Time-out: Our dear friends at DPWH are another bunch who don’t give a damn about sports tourism. See how the Mandaue reclamation area is a mess of a traffic jam? And with nobody there working? >>> For the latest on the ThreeSixty Pharmacy Cup 2013, look up the page “ThreeSixty Pharmacy Cup” in Facebook. 

>>> You can reach me at [email protected]