Women’s role in sports tackled

Their participation in sports growing through the years, women are expected to take an even more active role in the development of physical activities in the country.

"We want to get the girls and women off the bleachers and sidelines, and for them to take a more active role in the playing fields, pools and finally, to the boardrooms," said commissioner Cynthia Carrion of the Philippine Sports Commission, who is at the helm of the coming first Philippine Congress on Women and Sports slated from Nov. 21-24 at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.

Carrion guested in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn hotel, where she extolled the role of women in promoting sports in the country.

The only female member of the present PSC board cited the success reaped by women athletes such as trackstar Lydia de Vega-Mercado, bowler Bong Coo-Garcia and only recently, equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski in their respective fields, one that truly made the Filipinos proud.

So significant the achievements of these athletes are that President Macapagal-Arroyo, in support of the four-day convention, has declared the month of November as ‘Women and Sports Month’ under proclamation No. 286.

"We want to encourage the participation in sports and physical activity of the greatest number of women and girls to make sport a venue to develop self-confidence, valuable attitudes toward defeat and success," added Carrion in the same forum sponsored by Agfa Colors, Red Bull and Pioneer Insurance.

Cojuangco-Jaworski, de Vega-Mercado and Coo-Garcia incidentally, are three of the major speakers in the four-day event which will serve a venue to discuss and address issues and concerns relating to gender equity as well as the role of women in sports.

Joining them are women achievers in other field of interests like Atty. Katrina Legarda, Dyan Castillejo, Tessa Jasminez, Vivian Zapanta, Tina Aboitiz Juan, commissioner Myrna Yao, Deanna Udarne Lorenzana Gregorio, Maria Rosa Carrion-Buck, Karina Constantino David, Grace Young, Dr. Etsuko Ogsawara, Nerisa Muescan Soriano and Dean Proserpina Domingo Tapales.

But Carrion clarified that the assembly is not entirely exclusive for women which has been the case when women issues are raised.

"We certainly can’t do it without men. This is women together with men. In fact, half of the participants in the Congress are men," she added.