‘The best in the country’

CEBU, Philippines - For Philippine Sports Commission chairman Ricardo "Richie" Garcia, the Cebu City Sports Commission has the best grassroots program in the country.

With this, the PSC has identified CCSC's sports development program as a template to LGUs that when Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez sought his help, Garcia immediately called CCSC chairman Edward Hayco to address the matter, of which the latter agreed to share without any hesitation.

“I am always proud of the program of Cebu (City). Doon ko nakita how a grassroots program should be done. If we could duplicate the program in other cities, we will have less problems with our youth,” said Garcia.

Dagupan City got in an instant what the CCSC has concocted for more than a decade, a sustainable grassroots program. The good thing is that Hayco readily shares their secret recipe to success to others in need of it.

Aside from the template, PSC has also promised to provide all coaches to train the local trainors to improve their know-how in different sporting disciplines.

Mayor Fernandez, for her part, said they are now focusing on improving their sports and music program, but she gamely admitted that they need help from the PSC especially when they encountered problems with the top officials of DepEd in their area.

"In developing sports and music, we see better future of the children because of discipline," said Mayor Fernandez.

What the Dagupan mayor wants made CCSC's task simpler as the latter's main focus is not on producing golds, but on "transforming kids through sports."

With no less Fernandez at the forefront of their newly created sports commission, Hayco has no doubt they will also succeed.

"We are here sharing our recipe book But it’s the one who bakes it that make the cake rise. You can enhance our program. Be a creative chef, make do with what you have" said Hayco.

Aside from creativity, CCSC has also imparted to Dagupan how to maximize its local resources, work on a limited budget, forge a strong partnership with DepEd and the private sector, and above all, instill in the hearts and minds of their workforce the essence of volunteerism.

At the end of the day, Hayco and the CCSC presented to Dagupan's sports commission the handbook of their grassroots development program.

"Indeed very inspiring. Sa totoo lang, nakakaiyak talagang makita how kids have transformed. We don't need 14 years to learn. We cannot pay this book, but we are bent on improvin g the lives of our children and provide them better future," said Mayor Fernandez. (FREEMAN)