Shaan’s big day

Sportscaster Patricia (Shaan) Bermudez, who also answers to the nickname Patring, is a modern-day Cinderella whose ambition in life is to share her blessings with the less fortunate.

Shaan couldn’t ask anything more for herself. She lives a charmed life. And Shaan deserves her good fortune because of her golden heart. Good begets good, as the saying goes. For every good turn you do, it comes back a hundredfold.

Shaan was born here and left for Montreal with her family when she was about three. The third of four children, she grew up "one of the boys"–playing sports in Canada. She did swimming–once bagging a gold medal in an age-group competition, volleyball, American-style football, and even taekwondo. Never afraid to fail, she tried out for her high school basketball team but didn’t make the grade.

As a girl, she was influenced by her parents to care for the needy. On Christmas Day, the Bermudezes would drive to the poor section of town, distribute gifts to children and set up a soup kitchen. It was a family tradition that became a part of Shaan’s way of life.

Eight years ago, Shaan accompanied her grandmother to Manila. It was supposed to be a three-month vacation. She had just finished high school. Then her grandmother got sick and she wouldn’t leave her side. Before long, Shaan decided to extend her visit and enroll at the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

Shaan loved living here and after earning a political science degree at UST, looked for a job. She knew her heart belonged here–she had found her home for life.

In 1999, Shaan was invited to try out for a newscaster’s spot on the National Broadcasting Network (NBN), then known as the People’s Television (PTV) station. The late PTV general manager Jun Hizon went out of his way to prepare Shaan for a broadcasting career. She would read newspaper stories and even comics in Pilipino in front of Hizon for hours, trying to shed her Stateside twang. Slowly, Shaan got the hang of it.

Then came her big break in sports. Shaan was asked to join the NBN team covering the Sydney Olympics three years ago. "Sir Bobby (Arias) and Boss Edgar (Reyes) invited me to go," she recalled. "It was my first-ever sports assignment. I cried for hours before doing the opening ceremonies with Sev (Sarmenta) because I was so nervous, so scared." But Shaan–nervous and all–passed the test with flying colors.

Now, Shaan is an MVP (Most Valuable Panelist) as a courtside reporter on NBN’s coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and a most sought-after event host off the court.

A year ago, Shaan met basketball star Vince Hizon and they’ve since been an item. At halftime of the Barangay Ginebra-Talk ‘N’ Text game in the Araneta Coliseum last June, Vince went on the air and publicly proposed to Shaan. Vince conspired with the NBN producers to pop the question on national TV and Shaan had absolutely no clue what was in store for her.

"I was confused, shocked, elated and scared when it hit me that Vince was proposing on the air," she said. "It was the biggest decision I’ve ever made in my life. What did I say? Yes, of course."

Vince and Shaan will be married at the St. Policarp Church in Orange County, California, on New Year’s Day 2004. The church was where Vince was baptized and where his siblings got married. They plan a short honeymoon in the Caribbean and a longer honeymoon in Crete after the Athens Olympics.

Shaan said she’d like to cover the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam this December. "I’ve covered all the international events–the Olympics and the Asian Games," she noted. "But never the SEA Games. So I hope to be able to do that. Then, if I could do the Athens Olympics, Vince will join me after the Games and we’ll go to Crete."

On Sept. 5, Shaan turns 26 and marks her first anniversary with Vince. The next day, which is a Saturday, Shaan will host a gathering of orphans, street kids and poor children from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome as her birthday treat. The event will be staged by Shaan’s own Everyday Is Your Birthday Foundation which was established three years ago as her way to influence celebrants to do something meaningful on their special day.

Shaan said her Foundation assists in organizing events for poor kids on the birthdays of friends and relatives. On the average, she said she produces one to two events a month.

This coming Saturday, Shaan will assemble hundreds of kids at the Astrodome and put on a fun program featuring clowns, magic acts and a puppet show. There will also be a performance by Silk and surprise appearances by celebrities, including PBA stars. She’s opening the doors to friends, relatives and kind-hearted folks to share their blessings with the kids.

"We’re hoping friends will come to play big brother and big sister to the kids," she said. "It’ll be great if they could bring old clothes, books, toys, school and educational tools, bags, shoes, and whatever else to give to the kids. This will be a family sharing day and we plan to make this an unforgettable experience for the kids."

Shaan has asked all the PBA clubs to support the undertaking by sending in donations. So far, she’s received pledges from Barangay Ginebra, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Alaska, Talk ‘N’ Text, and FedEx. Alaska mascot E-Cow will definitely be there, she said. Other sponsors are McDonald’s, Nestle, Teriyaki Boy, Goodwill Bookstore, Vince Hizon Foundation, Black and Decker, Cartoon Network, Kids Zone and Art Cakes.

During the program, Shaan will launch her 12Butterflies movement "to guide people in being hands-on when it comes to reaching out to the needy." The movement intends to gather volunteers to care for babies in orphanage nurseries, teach street kids how to read and write, set up soup kitchens and visit old folks in homes for the aged. The idea is to do at least 12 good deeds a year, once a month, and the movement hopes to guide, teach and support people to make doing good a way of life.

Why 12Butterflies? "12 is Vince’s jersey number and there are 12 months in a year," replied Shaan. "As for the butterflies, well, that’s me."

Now, more than ever, the world cries out for people to care for others, to share with others. Shaan, in her own way, is showing us how. Let’s join her in celebrating her birthday and sharing a part of ourselves this Saturday at the Astrodome.