Coseteng urges Pinoys to keep fit thru sports

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Nikki Coseteng underscored the need for a “sports for all” and encouraged the young and old to return to the swimming pool or any sports activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“My mission is to inform, inspire and encourage Filipinos to maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular sports activities,” said Coseteng in her “healthy lifestyle” campaign sponsored by Steven Gaisano and Ariel Tan.

Coseteng was in Cagayan de Oro last week for the PSL-DPS first Mindanao Swim Meet to support the participation of varsity swimmers of the Diliman Preparatory School, of which she is president and chief executive officer.

The swimmers are products of the school’s recently launched swimming program now part of the school’s curriculum. Their learn-to-swim and advanced training lessons at the DPS Swimming Center on Fairview, Quezon City are undertaken by coaches of the Philippine Swimming League under president Susan Papa.

After the Mindanao meet, the DPS swimmers helped distribute stuff toys to hundreds of kids and relief goods to adults. The DPS swimmers also gave cash donated by their classmates upon learning they were going on an outreach program in the course of their stay in Cagayan de Oro, which was hit hardest by Typhoon “Sendong.”

Papa, an Olympian, said the PSL has a twin mission to develop future champions and reach out to underprivileged children in the grassroots through sports. It has partnered with the DPS and the Christian Community Transformation, which helps street children, in its outreach program for kids and teens.

“Our operational objective is to provide permanent venues where Filipinos can undertake regular sports activities at the lowest cost possible and provide a wide range of sports options for various age groups,” said Papa.

The PSL and DPS are also partnering with the Department of Health in the latter’s new thrust of ensuring the health and wellness of the citizenry through sports.

Instead of building new hospitals and expanding old ones, the DOH is launching an intensive sports consciousness program designed to encourage participation in sports to prevent the occurrence of deadly diseases like diabetes and heart diseases, the major causes of deaths in the Philippines.

“We are one with the DOH in its mission to prolong the life expectancy of Filipinos through sports,” said Coseteng. “As the experts say, sports gives life to our years and years to our life.”