ADONIS AGUELO, MAASIN’S CHAMPION
Adonis Aguelo hails from Barangay Matin-ao of Maasin City and is the son of the former village chief Gregorio Aguelo, himself a former boxer. It was his father who first introduced him the basics of boxing and he was later turned over by his father to the Maasin City Sports Council.
He then participated as an amateur boxer in various inter-city developmental boxing championships and the national youth boxing championships. He turned professional at the age of 19 and was taken by Rex Wakee Salud stable.
It was the first professional fight in Maasin City since the untimely death of local boxing hero Alex Aroy. And a new hero emerged from this city in the person of Adonis who snatched the Philippine Boxing Federation superbantamweight title via a very impressive knockout win over Tiny Tyson.
The hometown crowd cheered lustily as Aguelo unleashed his bombs in the second round which shook Tiny Tyson as he absorbed punches to his head and body. The lethal combination let loose by Aguelo proved to be Tyson’s waterloo as he crawled to the canvas never to get up until the referee counted him out. The official KO time was 1:59 of the second round.
It was an easy win for the new Golden Boy of Maasin City. True to his name Adonis, he
possesses the good looks which complemented his untiring passion for boxing excellence. The mother of the late Alex Aroy congratulated Aguelo and I told her that his son already has a successor in Adonis.
Aguelo raised his pro record to 4-0-1 with 3 wins by KO. Tyson’s record dipped to 4-6-1 (1 KO). Rex Wakee Salud Promotions matchmaker Willie Flores commented that the new PBF champion has a great future ahead of him with his good attitude towards rigid training.
Aguelo successfully defended his Philippine Boxing Federation superbantamweight title via a split decision over Johnrey Verano of Bukidnon at the Otis Mall, Butuan City on March 21, 2009. The fight was well-fought in front of cheering Butuanons most of whom rooted for Verano, which came from the neighboring province of Bukidnon.
It was Aguelo’s first defense of the title he won in just five professional bouts. Philippine Boxing Federation apparently gave him the green light to fight a championship due to the high-percentage knockout rate he had in his previous fights.
In his next fight in Maasin, Aguelo sent challenger Phil Angcamor to the canvas four times, enroute to a successful defense of his PBF superbantamweight crown before thousands of cheering local fans at the Maasin City Gymnasium.
Aguelo was well ahead in the scorecards of the three judges in every round when Angcamor was floored once in the third round and three times in the sixth round. Punches unleashed by the champion took heavy beating on the challenger who was specifically weak in his torso.
But Angcamor, who hails from Cagayan de Oro City, showed gallant stand from the beginning until the end of the fight, absorbing astoundingly Aguelo’s blows in six rounds especially those that hit his head. He showed some his cleverness by swaying his head to evade the crushing blows of the Maasin champ.
But the determination to give the hometown crowd something to cheer about inspired Aguelo to end the fight with a bang. The curtains closed on the challenger when referee Ben Necesario stopped the fight at 1:44 of round 6 when Angcamor hit the canvas three times in that round.
The fight was dubbed “Makalingawng Away Sa Adlaw ni Mayor” and true to its billing, the fights amused the full-packed crowd of all genders and ages. Boxing is alive and kicking in this capital city and it was evidenced by the upbeat response of the crowd in every fight.
On November 20, 2009, the excitement of the victory of Manny Pacquiao over Miguel Cotto was not yet over, and the local crowd here once more witnessed a very entertaining boxing extravaganza at the City Gym. This time it was for real as Aguelo, the Pride of Maasin City, faced Eric Macas of Zamboanga City for the vacant PBF featherweight title.
Aguelo had to move up to the next higher division because of problems maintaining his fighting weight. And Macas is no ordinary boxer from Maranding, Lanao del Norte and based in
Zamboanga. He absorbed all of Aguelo’s punches right from the opening bell. He was able to withstand the flurry of the champion’s blows and when the final bell rang, he finished the bout in his feet.
Dubbed “Maasin’s Champion in Action,” the fight was a lopsided contest in favor of the local hero Aguelo. But the crowd who wanted a knockout victory was annoyed because of Macas’ gallant stand against Aguelo’s fists. Macas’ eyes were swollen because he absorbed all the punches he could take but the ring physician Dr. Teodulo Salas. Jr. let him continue with the fight.
The scores were 100-90, 98-92, and 99-91, all in favor of Maasin’s champion. It was supervised by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) through Mr. Rolando Mendoza, GAB Visayas head. The boxing promotion was made possible by the city government of Maasin through the Maasin City Sports Council. It was a traditional yearly presentation for the birthday of Governor Damian Mercado. It was Aguelo’s eighth win in nine professional bouts with one draw and no defeat, exuding lots of promises as a rising boxer.
Aguelo had been unsuccessful in a series of fights abroad He lost to undefeated Australian Joel Brunker in the interim WBO Oriental featherweight championship in Richmond, New South Wales, Australia last November 25, 2011.
His attempt at the WBC Asian Boxing Council featherweight title also proved futile when he lost to Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in Uttaradit, Thailand via a unanimous decision on March 4, 2011. The Thai boxer is still undefeated in 45 fights with 25 KO
wins.
He was also defeated by Sod Kokietgym for the WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title by unanimous decision on May 14, 2010 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
In a stint in Kobe, Japan, he lost a very close split decision to hometown favorite Kota Fukuoka by scores of 76-77, 76-77, 78-74 in June 24, 2011.
In the local scene, Aguelo however bounced back by defeating Victor Mañon by 6th round TKO, Edgar Gabejan by unanimous decision, and Jake Verano by 4th round TKO to win back the PBF superbantamweight title. He won a ten round unanimous decision against Renan Branzuela of Bukidnon to successfully defend his title.
The Maasin City boxer won also the interim Philippine featherweight title when he defeated Jerry Nardo on July 22, 2012 in Compostela, Cebu. Aguelo relied on his steady body attack to turn back the Bacolod City native. Aguelo had a slow start but increased his punch output to the abdomen in the fifth round prompting Nardo to signal that he will not continue to fight going into the sixth round.
On January 5, 2013, Aguelo lost to Cirilo Espino for the vacant Games and Amusements Board Philippine featherweight title by a unanimous decision. The title fight was held at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology Gym in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. It was a title fight between Aguelo the number one contender and Espino the number two contender of the GAB ratings. The title was vacated by Michael
Fareñas who moved up to the higher superfeatherweight division.
According to manager Willie Flores, Aguelo exerted so much effort in reducing to 126 lbs. to stay within the featherweight limit. He has ballooned to 145 lbs. and had to trim down in a short period of time. It resulted in a rather sluggish fight for the Maasin City native enroute to a deficit in points.
On February 15, 2013 Aguelo won over Sho Arai in Tokyo, Japan. Aguelo inflicted the Japanese his first professional loss by a majority decision. The unbeaten Arai was heavily favored but Aguelo turned the tide during the fight before the adverse crowd.
Adonis Aguelo impressed thousands of hometown crowd on May 21, 2013 when he knocked Gadwin Tubigon out in the third round to capture the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation super featherweight title. The time of the stoppage was 2:27 of the third canto when Tubigon of Dipolog City was unable to continue due to the hard blows inflected on him by the Maasin boxing hero.
As early as the first round, he has shown dominance of the fight but was unable to floor his visiting foe which the crowd would love to watch. In the third round, Aguelo started hitting Tubigon's body and a solid upper cut sent him down never to continue fighting that night.
The boxing event was dubbed "Kadaugan sa Maasin" or "Victory in Maasin" in line with my 50th birthday celebration and a thanksgiving of the recent election victory. The prior year, Aguelo also won over Tubigon by a fourth round knockout for the PBF featherweight championship in Mandaue City. Aguelo's record improved to 20-8 with 11 KO's while Tubigon dipped to 7-7 with 3 KO's. The slated opponent of Aguelo was originally Bonnie Makiling of Bukidnon. But he was injured in practice and Tubigon was a replacement.
Aguelo, who was Orient Pacific Boxing Federation ranked no. 10 superfeatherweight, survived an early knockdown in round two, and displayed furious and continuous attacks that he finally stopped Hiroto Fukuhara at 1:26 of the eighth and final canto in Mimasaka, Okayama, Japan. Fukuhara was hospitalized after his surprising defeat after leading on points, but he proved to be all right.
In the encounter entitled as a World Boxing Council super featherweight eliminator, WBC No. 2 rated contender Mexican Sergio “Yeyo” Thompson won a ten round unanimous decision over Aguelo on August 2, 2014 at the Estadio Nachan Kaan in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Thompson dropped Aguelo at the end of round six with a big right hand and coasted along to a 96-93, 97-92, 96-93 unanimous decision.
Thompson started rather slowly and did not care so much in defense that Aguelo was more aggressive in the earlier rounds connecting some punches. For three rounds the Mexican used his jab and his flashy footwork. After dominating the first round, he was surprised by the venomous right of Aguelo which caused him severe swelling below the left eye.
Later Thompson unleashed a more serious offensive resulting in real exchange of bombs in the fourth round. In the sixth round, the hometown hero sank his left on the liver area of the Maasin City native to make way for two awful forehand, one upper and other straight that threw Aguelo the floor. Upon getting up the bell rang shortly signalling the end of the sixth round.
High voltage episodes followed because the two warriors engaged in furious exchanges and Aguelo was again throwing dangerous punches to the Mexican. The hardness of the hands of Aguelo took its tool on the left cheek of Thompson who continued his punching tactics and batteries of jabs on the visiting Filipino.
Thompson complained after a clash of heads and again was electrifying Aguelo. Adones opened the ninth round with hits as Yeyo intensely jabbed and threw combinations to the face. But the underdog kept firing artillery again which endangered the crowd favorite.
Knowing that he was ahead on the cards, Thompson moved in the ring and jabbed and coasted in the tenth and final chapter, and avoided any final counter offensive by Aguelo.
Thompson improved to 30-3 (26KOs), but has gone the full distance in three of his past four bouts. Aguelo fell to 21-10-2 (13KOs). But he had nothing to be ashamed of having hurt one of Mexico's premier fighters.
Aguelo won the Asian Boxing Federation (ABF) super featherweight title by 8th round TKO against Bonnie Makiling in the main event of the boxing card on September 20, 2014 at the Talisay City Sports Complex. His record improved to 22-10-2 with 14 KO wins.
Aguelo’s TKO win was due to a cut around Makiling’s right eye. His international experience proved to be a great advantage over the less seasoned Makiling.
Adones Aguelo Singwangcha made a short workout of his Indonesian foe Elly Ray knocking him out in the second round in 25 seconds to successfully defend his Asian Boxing Federation lightweight crown November 13, 2014 at the Maasin City Gym.
Aguelo found the range as early as the first round targeting the soft tummy of the visiting opponent. He dropped Ray on his knees but the Indonesian was quick to get up breaking the referee's count. In the next round the Maasin City native hit the same stomach which weakened the legs of the challenger and was not able to get up.
"It's a great pleasure for me winning over my opponent before hometown fans," said Aguelo who prevailed in the scheduled 12-rounder. "I noticed of his weak middle body and took advantage of it," referring to the fallen visitor.
Lunes, Hulyo 14, 2014
"THE MAASIN BOMBER” ALEX AROY
"THE MAASIN BOMBER” ALEX AROY
Alex Aroy first trained as an amateur boxer under the Maasin City Sports Council, with me as the Chairman, and with the late Tiny Espina, then with Ramil Entia as trainers. He was later managed by Rex “Wakee” Salud under trainer Anol Jaca. He was so proud being a Maasinhon that he used the alias “Maasin Bomber” and “Batang Maasin.”
I accompanied Alex and company to Cebu City in 1999 when they competed in the National Youth Amateur Boxing Championships. His companions at that time were Darius Dag-uman, Jegner Ayaay, Mario Caube, and Adonis Aguelo, all of Maasin City. When they turned professional, Dag-uman was with the Omega Boxing Club, Ayaay was once taken by the ALA Gym, Aguelo is now training under Brix Flores, while Caube did not turn pro and has retired from boxing.
During the said tournament, Alex won his initial bout but lost in the next fight. He had weight problems and we had to cover him with a large plastic to perspire in order to reduce. It took a tool on his second fight. Weigh-in in the amateurs is done daily before each fight. But like in his professional career, Alex was never been knocked down in his amateur days.
It was Darius who introduced Alex to trainer Anol Jaca. I took the initiative of promoting five of his fights in Maasin City to let our local fans witness how the rising hometown boxer swiped opponents with his stinging punches. The Maasin City Sports Council tied up with Salud to sponsor his fights in Maasin and Alex did not fail his kababayans.
He had his pro debut in Jakarta, Indonesia in October 23, 2003 by winning on points
against Indonesian Donny Suratin in eight rounds despite hostile crowd. Since then, he compiled straight wins against Roy Fuentes, Ruther del Castillo, Rogelio Bardon, Rex Madrid, Elmar Francisco, Michael Rodriguez, Allan Dugang, and over Rolando Baclayo, in his first fight in Maasin.
He tasted first defeat in the hands of Rollen del Castillo. He had a technical draw with Noel Veronque at the City Gym in his first pro fight in Maasin. He lost a technical decision over Milan Melindo in a six-round non-title fight in the undercard of the Z Gorres-Fernando Montiel bout in the Cebu City Sports Center.
He did not lost in his hometown and he won the Philippine Boxing Federation light-flyweight title against Dennis Juntillano at the City Gym, becoming the first Maasin boxer to win a national title.
His father Nemesio “Benny” Aroy in Barangay Maria Clara was a former boxer and it was he who was his son’s first trainer. He had high hopes that his son someday would become an international or even a world champion. It was not an impossible dream because of his performance in an international championship in South Africa.
The people of Maasin City pinned our hopes on Aroy as our first world champion. We had produced such nationally rated boxers as Romy Roa, Al Tan Lee, Bert Lozano, Jun Tan Sato, among others.
All went for naught in that forgettable evening in South Africa and the hopes of producing another World Boxing Council (WBC) international champion, in the same category as that of Manny Pacquiao, were vanished.
WBC International minimumweight champion Zukisani Kwayiba of South Africa was on the verge of getting floored by the hard-hitting Aroy in rounds six and seven, but the lights in the boxing ring mysteriously went off. While the other parts of the hotel-casino were still well with electricity.
When the ring power failure occurred, Kwayiba immediately went down the ring and took off his gloves, sensing the lights will never return, while Aroy stayed on top of the ring waiting for the power to be restored. Seven minutes had passed and the judges decided to go to the scorecards per WBC rules and Kwayiba won by Majority Technical Decision in round seven. Very oddly, the lights were back immediately after the verdict was announced.
Unfortunately Aroy was behind on points as he was known as a slow starter and was relying heavily on his superb knockout punch. But South African fans were not all highly-partisan as they booed the notorious outcome of the fight. It was quite astonishing that a prestigious hotel and casino such as Carousel in South Africa has no standby power while hosting such a reputed WBC international title fight.
Aroy became an instant hero in South Africa forcing promoter Branco Milenkovic to let him fight again in this country. Everywhere he went in Temba, boxing fans would be shouting “Aroy! Aroy!” Because of the dream turning a nightmare, Aroy turned into an instant celebrity in the world of boxing. He became known not only in the country but in the international boxing scene as well.
South African promoter Branco Milenkovic was so disgusted by the performance and the controversial victory of Kwayiba that he considered staging a rematch even if WBC did not order so. We were offered by Salud to host the WBC international title fight involving Alex in Maasin, but we refused because the budget involves millions of pesos and the city government was not ready to spend such a hefty sum.
Although the rematch with Kwayiba did not materialize because Aroy exerted a lot of effort in reducing to get the 105-lb. mini-flyweight limit. It also contributed to the sluggish first few rounds he had with Kwayiba. So he had to fight on
the next higher weight category.
Aroy again failed to win the World Boxing Council international crown without throwing a single punch in the same jinxed South African venue which is famous for hometown decisions and controversial outcomes in boxing. His South African opponent WBC international light-flyweight champion Phumzile Matyhila was stripped of his title when he failed to make the weight limit when he tipped the scales three kilograms overweight. Organizers cancelled the bout and Matyhila was stripped of his belt.
The return bout with Arnel Tadena was considered by many in Maasin as conceded in favor of our local hometown boxing hero. For during the first encounter with Tadena on Maasin fiesta vesper day on August 14, 2007, Alex was very much ahead on points in the three judges’ scorecards when an accidental head butt cut Tadena’s head in the second round. Upon Dr. Teodulo K. Salas, Jr.’s advice, Tadena was declared unfit to continue and the bout was declared a technical draw.
Maasin boxing fans were dismayed not seeing the imminent knockout coming through. They wanted to see Alex sending Arnel kissing the canvass, but to their disappointment. Thus, a rematch was the order of the day. But the “Maasin Bomber” was slated to fight Kwayiba in South Africa so the rematch did not materialize.
Prior to the rematch, Aroy had a 12-5-2 (6 KOs) win-loss-draw card, while Tadena’s professional record was 7-3-2 (4 KOs). Aroy was rated RP No. 7 light-flyweight contender, while Tadena was the RP No. 6 mini-flyweight contender. The fight was scheduled for ten rounds for the PBF light-flyweight title.
The much-awaited rematch with Tadena occurred on that forgettable Villaba, Leyte encounter. Already feeling weak because there were reports that he had a fever a few days before the fight and he did not have adequate practice for the bout, he lost by unanimous decision to the fighter who had prepared well for the rematch.
But with a warrior-like attitude that he had, he did not retreat from a challenge to prove who was the better fighter from among the two protagonists. Unfortunately though, the Divine Providence had favored to take away his life at a very early age of 23. He did not live long enough to get another crack at the WBC international title we longed for him to take.
I received an early morning cellular phone call on February 5, 2008 from Rex “Wakee” Salud matchmaker Willie Flores breaking the news about the death of our local boxing hero. Willie was in tears as he narrated Alex’s heartbreaking situation, how he had the difficulty in urinating before collapsing in his dressing room after the fight. I was tasked to inform his parents about the dreadful incident.
But just minutes later, Alex’s parents came to our house to air their grief on the shocking death of their son. They said they were informed by Alex’s co-boxer Darius Dag-uman. I ordered a vehicle to transport both father and mother from Maasin to Villaba, which is more than three hours drive. The boxer’s remains were already laid at the Puso Funeral Home in Palompon, Leyte, more than forty kilometers from Villaba.
The promoters and GAB personnel proposed an autopsy on Alex’s remains, but upon learning that it will be brought to Tacloban, more than four hours drive from Palompon, because the town lacks the necessary facilities, the parents decided to waive the planned autopsy and bring the body back immediately home. According to his parents, we could not bring Alex back to life even if an autopsy had to be conducted.
I always regarded our boxers as my adopted sons and Alex had been a pet since he brought honor and glory not only to the city but as well as to the country. Whenever he was in Maasin, he never failed to visit me in the office to pay a courtesy call. If ever they had problems, his mother would
visit me at home or at the office.
One of the many controversies that hounded Alex was when he fought for the WBC Youth championship and lost to Thai Oleydong Sithsamerchai in Petchaboon, Thailand and was not paid his purse by the Filipino promoter. His mother cried and aired his misery to me when the incident happened. It was just one of the many tempests that Alex encountered in his short pro career.
I went to Manila just right after his shocking death and had a meeting with Games and Amusements Board Chairman Eric Buhain and GAB Boxing Division Chief Dr. Nasser Cruz. The amiable doctor explained that probable causes of Aroy’s death could be a failure in pancreas, spleen, liver or bladder. He added only an autopsy can verify officially the real cause of the ring death.
While I told him that Alex had a fever prior to the fight, he said that several boxers had experienced fever before their scheduled encounter and still won. No less than Manny Pacquiao, according to Dr. Cruz, suffered from a fever but still was able to fight after receiving medical treatment. However, Buhain and Cruz assured me that the investigation was already in the works through GAB Visayas in Cebu City.
Buhain said that no less than WBC international secretary Mauro Betti of Italy handed the WBC condolences thru email. According to them Alex was a great loss considering that he was a world rated boxer. Prior to the tragedy, Aroy was rated No. 31 by the WBC in the entire world in the light-flyweight division.
Milenkovic, the South African promoter, was also saddened of the untimely death. He was working a future WBC international fight for Alex which could no longer materialize. No less than world boxing pound-for-pound king Pacquiao extended his condolences and donated assistance thru Salud. Antonio L. Aldeguer of the famed ALA Gym also extended his condolences and assistance too.
In Alex’s wake, I gathered all boxers, pro and amateur, who were present. Not one of them decided to stop boxing because of the ring tragedy and Aroy’s death challenged them more to give honor to Maasin City where Alex had left. Alex, their inspiration, was buried on February 12, 2008 at the Maasin Cemetery. But the passion among my other “sons” to fight and redeem Alex’s death will not be buried.
Alex Aroy first trained as an amateur boxer under the Maasin City Sports Council, with me as the Chairman, and with the late Tiny Espina, then with Ramil Entia as trainers. He was later managed by Rex “Wakee” Salud under trainer Anol Jaca. He was so proud being a Maasinhon that he used the alias “Maasin Bomber” and “Batang Maasin.”
I accompanied Alex and company to Cebu City in 1999 when they competed in the National Youth Amateur Boxing Championships. His companions at that time were Darius Dag-uman, Jegner Ayaay, Mario Caube, and Adonis Aguelo, all of Maasin City. When they turned professional, Dag-uman was with the Omega Boxing Club, Ayaay was once taken by the ALA Gym, Aguelo is now training under Brix Flores, while Caube did not turn pro and has retired from boxing.
During the said tournament, Alex won his initial bout but lost in the next fight. He had weight problems and we had to cover him with a large plastic to perspire in order to reduce. It took a tool on his second fight. Weigh-in in the amateurs is done daily before each fight. But like in his professional career, Alex was never been knocked down in his amateur days.
It was Darius who introduced Alex to trainer Anol Jaca. I took the initiative of promoting five of his fights in Maasin City to let our local fans witness how the rising hometown boxer swiped opponents with his stinging punches. The Maasin City Sports Council tied up with Salud to sponsor his fights in Maasin and Alex did not fail his kababayans.
He had his pro debut in Jakarta, Indonesia in October 23, 2003 by winning on points
against Indonesian Donny Suratin in eight rounds despite hostile crowd. Since then, he compiled straight wins against Roy Fuentes, Ruther del Castillo, Rogelio Bardon, Rex Madrid, Elmar Francisco, Michael Rodriguez, Allan Dugang, and over Rolando Baclayo, in his first fight in Maasin.
He tasted first defeat in the hands of Rollen del Castillo. He had a technical draw with Noel Veronque at the City Gym in his first pro fight in Maasin. He lost a technical decision over Milan Melindo in a six-round non-title fight in the undercard of the Z Gorres-Fernando Montiel bout in the Cebu City Sports Center.
He did not lost in his hometown and he won the Philippine Boxing Federation light-flyweight title against Dennis Juntillano at the City Gym, becoming the first Maasin boxer to win a national title.
His father Nemesio “Benny” Aroy in Barangay Maria Clara was a former boxer and it was he who was his son’s first trainer. He had high hopes that his son someday would become an international or even a world champion. It was not an impossible dream because of his performance in an international championship in South Africa.
The people of Maasin City pinned our hopes on Aroy as our first world champion. We had produced such nationally rated boxers as Romy Roa, Al Tan Lee, Bert Lozano, Jun Tan Sato, among others.
All went for naught in that forgettable evening in South Africa and the hopes of producing another World Boxing Council (WBC) international champion, in the same category as that of Manny Pacquiao, were vanished.
WBC International minimumweight champion Zukisani Kwayiba of South Africa was on the verge of getting floored by the hard-hitting Aroy in rounds six and seven, but the lights in the boxing ring mysteriously went off. While the other parts of the hotel-casino were still well with electricity.
When the ring power failure occurred, Kwayiba immediately went down the ring and took off his gloves, sensing the lights will never return, while Aroy stayed on top of the ring waiting for the power to be restored. Seven minutes had passed and the judges decided to go to the scorecards per WBC rules and Kwayiba won by Majority Technical Decision in round seven. Very oddly, the lights were back immediately after the verdict was announced.
Unfortunately Aroy was behind on points as he was known as a slow starter and was relying heavily on his superb knockout punch. But South African fans were not all highly-partisan as they booed the notorious outcome of the fight. It was quite astonishing that a prestigious hotel and casino such as Carousel in South Africa has no standby power while hosting such a reputed WBC international title fight.
Aroy became an instant hero in South Africa forcing promoter Branco Milenkovic to let him fight again in this country. Everywhere he went in Temba, boxing fans would be shouting “Aroy! Aroy!” Because of the dream turning a nightmare, Aroy turned into an instant celebrity in the world of boxing. He became known not only in the country but in the international boxing scene as well.
South African promoter Branco Milenkovic was so disgusted by the performance and the controversial victory of Kwayiba that he considered staging a rematch even if WBC did not order so. We were offered by Salud to host the WBC international title fight involving Alex in Maasin, but we refused because the budget involves millions of pesos and the city government was not ready to spend such a hefty sum.
Although the rematch with Kwayiba did not materialize because Aroy exerted a lot of effort in reducing to get the 105-lb. mini-flyweight limit. It also contributed to the sluggish first few rounds he had with Kwayiba. So he had to fight on
the next higher weight category.
Aroy again failed to win the World Boxing Council international crown without throwing a single punch in the same jinxed South African venue which is famous for hometown decisions and controversial outcomes in boxing. His South African opponent WBC international light-flyweight champion Phumzile Matyhila was stripped of his title when he failed to make the weight limit when he tipped the scales three kilograms overweight. Organizers cancelled the bout and Matyhila was stripped of his belt.
The return bout with Arnel Tadena was considered by many in Maasin as conceded in favor of our local hometown boxing hero. For during the first encounter with Tadena on Maasin fiesta vesper day on August 14, 2007, Alex was very much ahead on points in the three judges’ scorecards when an accidental head butt cut Tadena’s head in the second round. Upon Dr. Teodulo K. Salas, Jr.’s advice, Tadena was declared unfit to continue and the bout was declared a technical draw.
Maasin boxing fans were dismayed not seeing the imminent knockout coming through. They wanted to see Alex sending Arnel kissing the canvass, but to their disappointment. Thus, a rematch was the order of the day. But the “Maasin Bomber” was slated to fight Kwayiba in South Africa so the rematch did not materialize.
Prior to the rematch, Aroy had a 12-5-2 (6 KOs) win-loss-draw card, while Tadena’s professional record was 7-3-2 (4 KOs). Aroy was rated RP No. 7 light-flyweight contender, while Tadena was the RP No. 6 mini-flyweight contender. The fight was scheduled for ten rounds for the PBF light-flyweight title.
The much-awaited rematch with Tadena occurred on that forgettable Villaba, Leyte encounter. Already feeling weak because there were reports that he had a fever a few days before the fight and he did not have adequate practice for the bout, he lost by unanimous decision to the fighter who had prepared well for the rematch.
But with a warrior-like attitude that he had, he did not retreat from a challenge to prove who was the better fighter from among the two protagonists. Unfortunately though, the Divine Providence had favored to take away his life at a very early age of 23. He did not live long enough to get another crack at the WBC international title we longed for him to take.
I received an early morning cellular phone call on February 5, 2008 from Rex “Wakee” Salud matchmaker Willie Flores breaking the news about the death of our local boxing hero. Willie was in tears as he narrated Alex’s heartbreaking situation, how he had the difficulty in urinating before collapsing in his dressing room after the fight. I was tasked to inform his parents about the dreadful incident.
But just minutes later, Alex’s parents came to our house to air their grief on the shocking death of their son. They said they were informed by Alex’s co-boxer Darius Dag-uman. I ordered a vehicle to transport both father and mother from Maasin to Villaba, which is more than three hours drive. The boxer’s remains were already laid at the Puso Funeral Home in Palompon, Leyte, more than forty kilometers from Villaba.
The promoters and GAB personnel proposed an autopsy on Alex’s remains, but upon learning that it will be brought to Tacloban, more than four hours drive from Palompon, because the town lacks the necessary facilities, the parents decided to waive the planned autopsy and bring the body back immediately home. According to his parents, we could not bring Alex back to life even if an autopsy had to be conducted.
I always regarded our boxers as my adopted sons and Alex had been a pet since he brought honor and glory not only to the city but as well as to the country. Whenever he was in Maasin, he never failed to visit me in the office to pay a courtesy call. If ever they had problems, his mother would
visit me at home or at the office.
One of the many controversies that hounded Alex was when he fought for the WBC Youth championship and lost to Thai Oleydong Sithsamerchai in Petchaboon, Thailand and was not paid his purse by the Filipino promoter. His mother cried and aired his misery to me when the incident happened. It was just one of the many tempests that Alex encountered in his short pro career.
I went to Manila just right after his shocking death and had a meeting with Games and Amusements Board Chairman Eric Buhain and GAB Boxing Division Chief Dr. Nasser Cruz. The amiable doctor explained that probable causes of Aroy’s death could be a failure in pancreas, spleen, liver or bladder. He added only an autopsy can verify officially the real cause of the ring death.
While I told him that Alex had a fever prior to the fight, he said that several boxers had experienced fever before their scheduled encounter and still won. No less than Manny Pacquiao, according to Dr. Cruz, suffered from a fever but still was able to fight after receiving medical treatment. However, Buhain and Cruz assured me that the investigation was already in the works through GAB Visayas in Cebu City.
Buhain said that no less than WBC international secretary Mauro Betti of Italy handed the WBC condolences thru email. According to them Alex was a great loss considering that he was a world rated boxer. Prior to the tragedy, Aroy was rated No. 31 by the WBC in the entire world in the light-flyweight division.
Milenkovic, the South African promoter, was also saddened of the untimely death. He was working a future WBC international fight for Alex which could no longer materialize. No less than world boxing pound-for-pound king Pacquiao extended his condolences and donated assistance thru Salud. Antonio L. Aldeguer of the famed ALA Gym also extended his condolences and assistance too.
In Alex’s wake, I gathered all boxers, pro and amateur, who were present. Not one of them decided to stop boxing because of the ring tragedy and Aroy’s death challenged them more to give honor to Maasin City where Alex had left. Alex, their inspiration, was buried on February 12, 2008 at the Maasin Cemetery. But the passion among my other “sons” to fight and redeem Alex’s death will not be buried.
BATANG PINOY
BATANG PINOY
Maasin City first participated in the Batang Pinoy in the year 2001 in Iloilo City. During that time there was no single medal won by our more than thirty athletes who joined the competitions. It prompted the passage of the ordinance creating the Maasin City Sports Council sponsored by then Sangguniang Kabataan President Bennites Paloma. I was the City Vice Mayor that time and I was appointed as Chairman by then Mayor Damian Mercado.
Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games or Batang Pinoy, was issued by the President. It serves as the national sports competition program for children aged 15 years or younger and is aimed to address the need for a grassroots sports program focused on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.
Batang Pinoy, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, is conducted in partnership with national government agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.
The Batang Pinoy was then revived in 2011 with the Visayas leg held at Dumaguete City on November 10-13, 2011. Maasin City sent around 40 delegates to include athletes, coaches and sports officials, headed by Sports Council Chairman Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. The city competed in such events as boxing, taekwondo, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, and swimming.
Maasin City sports delegation bagged 3 golds, 11 silvers and 8 bronze medals after competing in the last day of the Batang Pinoy 2011 Visayas Leg. It was good for 7th place among 28 participating LGUs.
Christian Ivan Salud got two gold medals in swimming while Mary Joy Calapre won the lawn tennis single event. The gold and silver medalists would qualify for the national Batang Pinoy 2011 to be held at Naga City.
For the silver medals, boxing got three, lawn tennis got four for singles, doubles and team event, swimming harvested two, badminton got two while taekwondo got one and they all qualified for the national competition.
Cebu City dominated the badminton, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, chess and swimming competitions to finish with 52 gold medals, 37 silvers, and 31 bronze medals and became the overall champion. Bacolod City got 2nd place with 34 gold medals, 18 silvers and 23 bronzes. Host Dumaguete City collected 27 gold medals, 18 silvers and 27 bronzes to finish 3rd place.
Leyte placed 4th with 11 golds, 16 silvers, and eight bronzes. Rounding up the top ten were Antique (5th place), Bohol (6th place), Maasin City (7th place), Bayawan City (9th place), and Talisay, Cebu (10th place).
The Batang Pinoy Youth Games National Championship was held in Gov. San Luis Sports Complex in Naga City last December 9-13, 2011. About 2,000 athletes from the local government units nationwide who qualified in the different regional legs competed in the national youth games.
Mary Joy Calapre dominated the girls’ lawn tennis singles and together with Angelica Mae Baluran, the powerful tandem bagged the gold in the girls’ lawn tennis doubles. Calapre was also awarded the prestigious “Best Athlete in Lawn Tennis” of the Batang Pinoy National Championship.
The other medalists from Maasin City were Julirey Villahermosa, silver in boxing; Josh Mark Maquilabit, silver in badminton singles, Josh Mark Maquilabit and Nequi Joseph Cepada, bronze in badminton doubles; Alemar Javier and Cesar Bestudio, bronze in boxing; and Joshua Lagunay bronze in taekwondo.
Maasin City got 2 golds. 3 silvers and 3 bronzes. I went to Naga City together with some
city officials to give moral support to our athletes. We paid a courtesy call on Mayor John Bongat at the city hall.
Mayor Bongat asked me on how we were able to achieve the exemplary achievement in tennis. Their bets were beaten by Calapre and Baluran in the finals. I told him constant training and holding of age group tournaments. The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) had conducted several tennis clinics in Maasin. We were also part of the Milo Summer Age-Group Tennis Classics.
Maasin City became the host of the Batang Pinoy 2013 Visayas Qualifying Leg on September 24-28, 2013. It was originally scheduled at Roxas City, Capiz but was transferred to Maasin upon the recommendation of Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco. Likewise, the Luzon leg was held in Iba, Zambales on October 15-19, 2013 while the Mindanao leg was conducted in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on August 27-31, 2013.
The PSC Batang Pinoy Secretariat led by Atty. Jay Alano, Executive Director, arrived in the city earlier. Three thousand athletes were expected to join the games and they will be billeted in schools. The opening ceremony was at the Maasin City Gym on September 24, 2013 in the afternoon before a full house crowd.
The events to be played were arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, boxing, chess, dancesports, futsal, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, softball, sepak takraw, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling and wushu. Swimming was held at the Leyte Sports Center in Tacloban City because we have no standard swimming pool.
Maasin City was informed of the hosting only last May. But holding of national and regional sporting events is not new to Maasin City. Last February, it hosted the 2013 National Boxing Championships which the ABAP officials considered as the most successful staging of the event. The Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) of the Department of Education was played in Maasin three times in 1998, 2005 and 2012.
The first, second and third placers of the different regional legs will qualify for the Batang Pinoy National Championships which will be held in Bacolod City on November 19-23, 2013. The original host was Zamboanga City but because of the ongoing crisis with the Muslim rebels the PSC and the POC decided to change the venue.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the hosting was signed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City Government of Maasin. The signing ceremony was held at the Philsports Arena media room in Pasig City last July 23, 2013.
The PSC was represented by Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez while I singed it in behalf of the city government. Batang Pinoy Executive Director Atty. Jay Alano and Maasin City Administrator Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. witnessed the signing ceremony.
Some 1,200 athletes joined the opening ceremony of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg. More than 3,000 delegates including officials graced the parade that started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza and marched around the poblacion main streets.
Several school bands added gaiety to the parade and people lined-up the streets to cheer the participants. The venue of the opening ceremony which is the Maasin City Gym was a full house and were filled to the rafters.
Jose Luis "Jolly" Gomez, PSC Commissioner in charge of the Batang Pinoy, gave the keynote speech. He emphasized the significance of the grassroots program of the PSC which is quite different from that of the Palarong Pambansa.
"The Batang Pinoy is also open to out-of-school-youth. We have national winners in the Batang Pinoy who pursued their studies through the Alternative Learning System of the DepEd," said Gomez.
Thirty five LGUs from barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces sent athletes and officials. "This is a well-participated Batang Pinoy," said Atty. Alano. She and her staff were the workhorse of the games.
On the side of the city, it was the Maasin City Sports Council and the DepEd Maasin City Division who assisted the PSC in all the preparations. The whole Maasin City Council was in full force during the opening ceremony and the Mayor's Welcome Dinner.
The Philippine Olympic Committee is represented by Romeo Magat. During the solidarity meeting of all officials, he explained the role of the POC. "The POC coordinates with the PSC in the Batang Pinoy program. We work hand in hand in searching talents to be trained for international competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and the Olympics," said Magat.
Governor Roger Mercado, who headed the strong Southern Leyte delegation, gave the welcome message in behalf of the province while this writer welcomed the delegates in behalf of the city.
The entrance of the torch and lighting of the urn was the highlight of the ceremony. Yours truly carried the torch and lighted the urn in a very colorful and exciting display of fireworks which wowed the audience and the visitors.
The Ajonay Festival dancers of the Maasin City College gave a very awesome show to the delight of the crowd. The hearing-impaired pupils of the Maasin Special Education Center gave a doxology and the special rendition of the national anthem, provincial and city hymns.
Tobacco and cigarette smoking is strictly prohibited in all playing venues, billeting quarters, and all public places and public utility vehicles in the first-ever smoke-free Batang Pinoy. "Sports and healthy lifestyle must go together," my words during the opening. "Maasin City is a Hall of Fame Red Orchids Awardee of the Bloomberg Foundation, the WHO and the DOH."
According to Atty. Alano: "It was the best hosting of the Batang Pinoy so far."
The final medal tally:
LGU-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total Medals
1. Cebu City 87-61-34-182
2. Bohol Province 29-19-14-62
3. Iloilo City 18-4-7-29
4. Bacolod City 15-6-12-33
5. Maasin City 9-23-36-68
6. Iloilo Province 9-21-13-43
7. Mandaue City 8-8-7-23
8. Province of Leyte 7-13-12-32
9. Baybay City 6-9-6-21
10. Province of Iloilo 6-6-3-15
11. Negros Oriental 6-3-6-15
12. Negros Occidental 5-11-9-25
13. Leyte Sports Academy 5-10-10-25
14. Aklan 4-7-24-35
15. Tacloban City 4-5-14-23
16. Province of Southern Leyte 4-1-1-6
17. Talisay City 4-1-0-5
18. Province of Antique. 3-7-22-32
19. Tagbilaran City 3-1-13-17
20. Province of Aklan 3-0-0-3
21. Lezo, Aklan 2-4-4-10
22. Ormoc City 2-1-4-7
23. Brgy. Sambag II, Cebu City 2-1-1-4
24. Cadiz City 1-2-1-4
25. Hilongos, Leyte 1-2-1-4
26. Brgy. Bangkal, Lapulapu City 1-2-0-3
27. San Fernando, Cebu 1-1-4-6
28. Brgy. Labangon, Cebu City 1-1-1-3
29. Municipality of Carmen 1-1-1-3
30. Zarraga, Iloilo 1-0-0-1
31. Municipality of Consolacion 0-3-2-5
32. Borongan City 0-2-0-2
33. Kalibo, Aklan 0-1-4-5
34. Bato, Leyte 0-1-1-2
35. Matalom, Leyte 0-1-0-1
36. Maybocog, Maydolong, E. Samar 0-0-3-3
37. Eastern Samar 0-0-1-1
Maasin City placed second to Cebu City in the total number of medals.
The Batang Pinoy MEDALISTS of MAASIN CITY. The city's biggest medal harvest so far in the Visayas Leg of the National Youth Games. On to the Batang Pinoy National Competition, November 19-23, Bacolod City.
GOLD MEDALISTS
1. Aris Maceda - swimming 50m butterfly 13-15 girls
2. Alexis Costillas - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
3. Futsal Team Event Boys
4. Crisarl Gaviola - soft tennis singles boys
5. Trisa Luz Garces - soft tennis singles girls
6. Jessrey Vincent & Jonas Dayondon - soft tennis doubles boys
7. Trisa Luz Garces & Juliane Magallanes - soft tennis doubles girls
8. Gymnastics Cheerdance
9. Romie Evale - boxing light pinweight division
SILVER MEDALISTS
1. Abegail Aguelo - athletics 2000m walk girls
2. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m backstroke 13-15 girls
3. Ericah Diez - swimming 50m breaststroke 12 & under girls
4. Aris Maceda - swimming 200m butterfly 13-15 girls
5. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m butterfly 12 & under boys
6. Ericah Diez - swimming 200m breaststroke 11-12 girls
7. Ryan Obida - swimming 100m backstroke 12 & under boys
8. Aris Maceda - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m butterfly 12 & under boys
10. Aris Maceda - swimming 100m butterfly 13-15 girls
11. Ericah Diez - swimming 100m breaststroke 12 & under girls
12. James Louric Arnaiz - taekwondo lightweight boys
13. Mark Carlo Ellazar - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
14. Angelito Jejorpe - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
15. Willy Ortega - wrestling schoolboys 47kg. boys
16. Lawn tennis Team Event Girls 15 under
17. Jovane John Aroy - arnis full contact featherweight boys
18. Jessrey Vincent - soft tennis singles boys
19. Hannah Pueblas - soft tennis singles girls
20. Niko Calapre & Jeruz Garde - soft tennis doubles boys
21. Hannah Pueblas & Cristlyn Bacariza - soft tennis doubles girls
22. Louie Jay Forzado - boxing kiddieweight division
23. Joshua Orello - boxing mosquito weight division
BRONZE MEDALISTS
1. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m freestyle 12 & under boys
2. Jael Maraon - swimming 50m breaststroke 13-15 boys
3. Ina Maceda - swimming 200m breaststroke 13-15 girls
4. Proper Joy Ambe - swimming 800m freestyle 13-15 girls
5. Rose Fraxides Siega - athletics shot put girls
6. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
7. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m individual medley 13-15 girls
8. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m backstroke 12 & under boys
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 50m freestyle 12 & under boys
10. John Michael Paler - taekwondo welterweight boys
11. Freya Beya Demeterio - taekwondo featherweight girls
12. Romie Wacay - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
13. Jude Bryle Maraon - wrestling bulinggit 44kg. boys
14. Mary Joy Orit - wrestling schoolgirls 44kg. girls
15. Kimberly Jane Ponce - arnis full contact pinweight girls
16. Edito Abendanio - arnis full contact flyweight boys
17. Kim Carl Bestudio - pencak silat class B 27-40kg. boys
18. Sahrani Olama - pencak silat class C 40-43kg. boys
19. Kim Palen - pencak silat class D 43-46kg. boys
20. Zaire Laraga - pencak silat class G 52-55kg. boys
21. Softball Boys Division
22. Vince Angeli Sy - table tennis singles boys
23. Christopher Jacob Go - soft tennis singles boys
24. Niko Calapre - soft tennis singles boys
25. Liezel Barola - soft tennis singles girls
26. Juliane Claire Magallanes - soft tennis singles girls
27. Crisarl Gaviola & John Basmayor - soft tennis doubles boys
28. Christopher Jacob Go & Joseph Suficiencia - soft tennis doubles boys
29. Kimberly Poblete & Liezl Barola - soft tennis doubles girls
30. Christine Lorezo & Stephanie Delmonte - soft tennis doubles girls
31. Volleyball Boys Division
32. Volleyball Girls Division
33. Princess Julienne Paler - lawn tennis singles girls
34. Princess Julianne Paler & Janzen Angeli Albino - lawn tennis doubles girls
35. Anthony Cabil - boxing minimumweight division
36. Jonathan Artegas - boxing light paperweight division
Batang Pinoy National Finals was originally set on November 14 – 25, 2013 in Bacolod City but was postponed to January 28– February 1, 2014 due to super typhoon Yolanda. Then together with four city councilors Hon. Romeo Geneston, Hon. Antonio Cardoza, Hon. Pepito Generan and Hon. Felicisimo Taborada, we led the 50 athletes and officials of Maasin City. The opening ceremony started with a parade of delegations through the major commercial districts of the city followed by a program attended by PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia, Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevilla and Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the public plaza. Mayor Puentevella, a former PSC Commissioner, coincidentally is the Father of Batang Pinoy.
Our cheerdancers/gymnasts won the bronze medal in the national competition which was held during the Luzon Qualifying Leg at Naga City. We won the bronze medal in the Cheerleading category and another bronze medal in the Group Male Category. There were seven participating teams.
We were not able to send the winners to the Batang Pinoy National Finals 2014 hosted again by Bacolod City because of the threat of Typhoon Ruby in December.
Maasin City first participated in the Batang Pinoy in the year 2001 in Iloilo City. During that time there was no single medal won by our more than thirty athletes who joined the competitions. It prompted the passage of the ordinance creating the Maasin City Sports Council sponsored by then Sangguniang Kabataan President Bennites Paloma. I was the City Vice Mayor that time and I was appointed as Chairman by then Mayor Damian Mercado.
Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games or Batang Pinoy, was issued by the President. It serves as the national sports competition program for children aged 15 years or younger and is aimed to address the need for a grassroots sports program focused on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.
Batang Pinoy, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, is conducted in partnership with national government agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.
The Batang Pinoy was then revived in 2011 with the Visayas leg held at Dumaguete City on November 10-13, 2011. Maasin City sent around 40 delegates to include athletes, coaches and sports officials, headed by Sports Council Chairman Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. The city competed in such events as boxing, taekwondo, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, and swimming.
Maasin City sports delegation bagged 3 golds, 11 silvers and 8 bronze medals after competing in the last day of the Batang Pinoy 2011 Visayas Leg. It was good for 7th place among 28 participating LGUs.
Christian Ivan Salud got two gold medals in swimming while Mary Joy Calapre won the lawn tennis single event. The gold and silver medalists would qualify for the national Batang Pinoy 2011 to be held at Naga City.
For the silver medals, boxing got three, lawn tennis got four for singles, doubles and team event, swimming harvested two, badminton got two while taekwondo got one and they all qualified for the national competition.
Cebu City dominated the badminton, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, chess and swimming competitions to finish with 52 gold medals, 37 silvers, and 31 bronze medals and became the overall champion. Bacolod City got 2nd place with 34 gold medals, 18 silvers and 23 bronzes. Host Dumaguete City collected 27 gold medals, 18 silvers and 27 bronzes to finish 3rd place.
Leyte placed 4th with 11 golds, 16 silvers, and eight bronzes. Rounding up the top ten were Antique (5th place), Bohol (6th place), Maasin City (7th place), Bayawan City (9th place), and Talisay, Cebu (10th place).
The Batang Pinoy Youth Games National Championship was held in Gov. San Luis Sports Complex in Naga City last December 9-13, 2011. About 2,000 athletes from the local government units nationwide who qualified in the different regional legs competed in the national youth games.
Mary Joy Calapre dominated the girls’ lawn tennis singles and together with Angelica Mae Baluran, the powerful tandem bagged the gold in the girls’ lawn tennis doubles. Calapre was also awarded the prestigious “Best Athlete in Lawn Tennis” of the Batang Pinoy National Championship.
The other medalists from Maasin City were Julirey Villahermosa, silver in boxing; Josh Mark Maquilabit, silver in badminton singles, Josh Mark Maquilabit and Nequi Joseph Cepada, bronze in badminton doubles; Alemar Javier and Cesar Bestudio, bronze in boxing; and Joshua Lagunay bronze in taekwondo.
Maasin City got 2 golds. 3 silvers and 3 bronzes. I went to Naga City together with some
city officials to give moral support to our athletes. We paid a courtesy call on Mayor John Bongat at the city hall.
Mayor Bongat asked me on how we were able to achieve the exemplary achievement in tennis. Their bets were beaten by Calapre and Baluran in the finals. I told him constant training and holding of age group tournaments. The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) had conducted several tennis clinics in Maasin. We were also part of the Milo Summer Age-Group Tennis Classics.
Maasin City became the host of the Batang Pinoy 2013 Visayas Qualifying Leg on September 24-28, 2013. It was originally scheduled at Roxas City, Capiz but was transferred to Maasin upon the recommendation of Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco. Likewise, the Luzon leg was held in Iba, Zambales on October 15-19, 2013 while the Mindanao leg was conducted in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on August 27-31, 2013.
The PSC Batang Pinoy Secretariat led by Atty. Jay Alano, Executive Director, arrived in the city earlier. Three thousand athletes were expected to join the games and they will be billeted in schools. The opening ceremony was at the Maasin City Gym on September 24, 2013 in the afternoon before a full house crowd.
The events to be played were arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, boxing, chess, dancesports, futsal, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, softball, sepak takraw, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling and wushu. Swimming was held at the Leyte Sports Center in Tacloban City because we have no standard swimming pool.
Maasin City was informed of the hosting only last May. But holding of national and regional sporting events is not new to Maasin City. Last February, it hosted the 2013 National Boxing Championships which the ABAP officials considered as the most successful staging of the event. The Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) of the Department of Education was played in Maasin three times in 1998, 2005 and 2012.
The first, second and third placers of the different regional legs will qualify for the Batang Pinoy National Championships which will be held in Bacolod City on November 19-23, 2013. The original host was Zamboanga City but because of the ongoing crisis with the Muslim rebels the PSC and the POC decided to change the venue.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the hosting was signed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City Government of Maasin. The signing ceremony was held at the Philsports Arena media room in Pasig City last July 23, 2013.
The PSC was represented by Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez while I singed it in behalf of the city government. Batang Pinoy Executive Director Atty. Jay Alano and Maasin City Administrator Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. witnessed the signing ceremony.
Some 1,200 athletes joined the opening ceremony of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg. More than 3,000 delegates including officials graced the parade that started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza and marched around the poblacion main streets.
Several school bands added gaiety to the parade and people lined-up the streets to cheer the participants. The venue of the opening ceremony which is the Maasin City Gym was a full house and were filled to the rafters.
Jose Luis "Jolly" Gomez, PSC Commissioner in charge of the Batang Pinoy, gave the keynote speech. He emphasized the significance of the grassroots program of the PSC which is quite different from that of the Palarong Pambansa.
"The Batang Pinoy is also open to out-of-school-youth. We have national winners in the Batang Pinoy who pursued their studies through the Alternative Learning System of the DepEd," said Gomez.
Thirty five LGUs from barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces sent athletes and officials. "This is a well-participated Batang Pinoy," said Atty. Alano. She and her staff were the workhorse of the games.
On the side of the city, it was the Maasin City Sports Council and the DepEd Maasin City Division who assisted the PSC in all the preparations. The whole Maasin City Council was in full force during the opening ceremony and the Mayor's Welcome Dinner.
The Philippine Olympic Committee is represented by Romeo Magat. During the solidarity meeting of all officials, he explained the role of the POC. "The POC coordinates with the PSC in the Batang Pinoy program. We work hand in hand in searching talents to be trained for international competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and the Olympics," said Magat.
Governor Roger Mercado, who headed the strong Southern Leyte delegation, gave the welcome message in behalf of the province while this writer welcomed the delegates in behalf of the city.
The entrance of the torch and lighting of the urn was the highlight of the ceremony. Yours truly carried the torch and lighted the urn in a very colorful and exciting display of fireworks which wowed the audience and the visitors.
The Ajonay Festival dancers of the Maasin City College gave a very awesome show to the delight of the crowd. The hearing-impaired pupils of the Maasin Special Education Center gave a doxology and the special rendition of the national anthem, provincial and city hymns.
Tobacco and cigarette smoking is strictly prohibited in all playing venues, billeting quarters, and all public places and public utility vehicles in the first-ever smoke-free Batang Pinoy. "Sports and healthy lifestyle must go together," my words during the opening. "Maasin City is a Hall of Fame Red Orchids Awardee of the Bloomberg Foundation, the WHO and the DOH."
According to Atty. Alano: "It was the best hosting of the Batang Pinoy so far."
The final medal tally:
LGU-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total Medals
1. Cebu City 87-61-34-182
2. Bohol Province 29-19-14-62
3. Iloilo City 18-4-7-29
4. Bacolod City 15-6-12-33
5. Maasin City 9-23-36-68
6. Iloilo Province 9-21-13-43
7. Mandaue City 8-8-7-23
8. Province of Leyte 7-13-12-32
9. Baybay City 6-9-6-21
10. Province of Iloilo 6-6-3-15
11. Negros Oriental 6-3-6-15
12. Negros Occidental 5-11-9-25
13. Leyte Sports Academy 5-10-10-25
14. Aklan 4-7-24-35
15. Tacloban City 4-5-14-23
16. Province of Southern Leyte 4-1-1-6
17. Talisay City 4-1-0-5
18. Province of Antique. 3-7-22-32
19. Tagbilaran City 3-1-13-17
20. Province of Aklan 3-0-0-3
21. Lezo, Aklan 2-4-4-10
22. Ormoc City 2-1-4-7
23. Brgy. Sambag II, Cebu City 2-1-1-4
24. Cadiz City 1-2-1-4
25. Hilongos, Leyte 1-2-1-4
26. Brgy. Bangkal, Lapulapu City 1-2-0-3
27. San Fernando, Cebu 1-1-4-6
28. Brgy. Labangon, Cebu City 1-1-1-3
29. Municipality of Carmen 1-1-1-3
30. Zarraga, Iloilo 1-0-0-1
31. Municipality of Consolacion 0-3-2-5
32. Borongan City 0-2-0-2
33. Kalibo, Aklan 0-1-4-5
34. Bato, Leyte 0-1-1-2
35. Matalom, Leyte 0-1-0-1
36. Maybocog, Maydolong, E. Samar 0-0-3-3
37. Eastern Samar 0-0-1-1
Maasin City placed second to Cebu City in the total number of medals.
The Batang Pinoy MEDALISTS of MAASIN CITY. The city's biggest medal harvest so far in the Visayas Leg of the National Youth Games. On to the Batang Pinoy National Competition, November 19-23, Bacolod City.
GOLD MEDALISTS
1. Aris Maceda - swimming 50m butterfly 13-15 girls
2. Alexis Costillas - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
3. Futsal Team Event Boys
4. Crisarl Gaviola - soft tennis singles boys
5. Trisa Luz Garces - soft tennis singles girls
6. Jessrey Vincent & Jonas Dayondon - soft tennis doubles boys
7. Trisa Luz Garces & Juliane Magallanes - soft tennis doubles girls
8. Gymnastics Cheerdance
9. Romie Evale - boxing light pinweight division
SILVER MEDALISTS
1. Abegail Aguelo - athletics 2000m walk girls
2. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m backstroke 13-15 girls
3. Ericah Diez - swimming 50m breaststroke 12 & under girls
4. Aris Maceda - swimming 200m butterfly 13-15 girls
5. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m butterfly 12 & under boys
6. Ericah Diez - swimming 200m breaststroke 11-12 girls
7. Ryan Obida - swimming 100m backstroke 12 & under boys
8. Aris Maceda - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m butterfly 12 & under boys
10. Aris Maceda - swimming 100m butterfly 13-15 girls
11. Ericah Diez - swimming 100m breaststroke 12 & under girls
12. James Louric Arnaiz - taekwondo lightweight boys
13. Mark Carlo Ellazar - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
14. Angelito Jejorpe - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
15. Willy Ortega - wrestling schoolboys 47kg. boys
16. Lawn tennis Team Event Girls 15 under
17. Jovane John Aroy - arnis full contact featherweight boys
18. Jessrey Vincent - soft tennis singles boys
19. Hannah Pueblas - soft tennis singles girls
20. Niko Calapre & Jeruz Garde - soft tennis doubles boys
21. Hannah Pueblas & Cristlyn Bacariza - soft tennis doubles girls
22. Louie Jay Forzado - boxing kiddieweight division
23. Joshua Orello - boxing mosquito weight division
BRONZE MEDALISTS
1. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m freestyle 12 & under boys
2. Jael Maraon - swimming 50m breaststroke 13-15 boys
3. Ina Maceda - swimming 200m breaststroke 13-15 girls
4. Proper Joy Ambe - swimming 800m freestyle 13-15 girls
5. Rose Fraxides Siega - athletics shot put girls
6. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
7. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m individual medley 13-15 girls
8. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m backstroke 12 & under boys
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 50m freestyle 12 & under boys
10. John Michael Paler - taekwondo welterweight boys
11. Freya Beya Demeterio - taekwondo featherweight girls
12. Romie Wacay - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
13. Jude Bryle Maraon - wrestling bulinggit 44kg. boys
14. Mary Joy Orit - wrestling schoolgirls 44kg. girls
15. Kimberly Jane Ponce - arnis full contact pinweight girls
16. Edito Abendanio - arnis full contact flyweight boys
17. Kim Carl Bestudio - pencak silat class B 27-40kg. boys
18. Sahrani Olama - pencak silat class C 40-43kg. boys
19. Kim Palen - pencak silat class D 43-46kg. boys
20. Zaire Laraga - pencak silat class G 52-55kg. boys
21. Softball Boys Division
22. Vince Angeli Sy - table tennis singles boys
23. Christopher Jacob Go - soft tennis singles boys
24. Niko Calapre - soft tennis singles boys
25. Liezel Barola - soft tennis singles girls
26. Juliane Claire Magallanes - soft tennis singles girls
27. Crisarl Gaviola & John Basmayor - soft tennis doubles boys
28. Christopher Jacob Go & Joseph Suficiencia - soft tennis doubles boys
29. Kimberly Poblete & Liezl Barola - soft tennis doubles girls
30. Christine Lorezo & Stephanie Delmonte - soft tennis doubles girls
31. Volleyball Boys Division
32. Volleyball Girls Division
33. Princess Julienne Paler - lawn tennis singles girls
34. Princess Julianne Paler & Janzen Angeli Albino - lawn tennis doubles girls
35. Anthony Cabil - boxing minimumweight division
36. Jonathan Artegas - boxing light paperweight division
Batang Pinoy National Finals was originally set on November 14 – 25, 2013 in Bacolod City but was postponed to January 28– February 1, 2014 due to super typhoon Yolanda. Then together with four city councilors Hon. Romeo Geneston, Hon. Antonio Cardoza, Hon. Pepito Generan and Hon. Felicisimo Taborada, we led the 50 athletes and officials of Maasin City. The opening ceremony started with a parade of delegations through the major commercial districts of the city followed by a program attended by PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia, Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevilla and Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the public plaza. Mayor Puentevella, a former PSC Commissioner, coincidentally is the Father of Batang Pinoy.
The Maasin City athletes and officials were cheered during the parade and welcomed during the boodle fight that followed the opening ceremonies because we were gracious hosts to Bacolod during their stay in our city during the Visayas leg. But something untoward happened to our futsal team.
Romie Evale won the bronze in boxing light pinweight division at the Batang Pinoy National Finals. He lost a controversial decision to his opponent from Cagayan de Oro in what could have been a silver medal and a chance to fight for the gold.
Maasin City won the bronze medal in gymnastics cheerleading with 15 medals awarded individually. Paranaque City won the gold and Calamba City won the silver.
Our futsal team were not as lucky. We almost defeated host Bacolod City with a score of 3-4. But another host Negros Occidental employed rugged physical plays and hurt our players causing a near riot of the game. The hosts were doing everything not to lose in their favorite game in their own homecourt. Our boys defaulted the game at score 0-0 and headed for home immediately for safety.
We sent delegation to the Batang Pinoy 2014 Visayas Qualifying Leg at Aklan. The medalists from Maasin City:
Gold:
Bernard Gaviola - javelin throw boys
Silver:
Jhayve Donaire - boxing antweight
Roy Jones Crisostomo - boxing powderweight
Joshua Orello - boxing lightflyweight
Christian Salud - 50m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 200m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 100m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Shanrud Noval - 800m freestyle girls 12 yrs & under
Bronze:
Mary Ann Cabero - shot put girls
Louie Jay Forzado - boxing vacuumweight
Lilibeth Payao - 200m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Ares Maceda - 50m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Ricardo Aragon - 400m individual medley boys 12 yrs & under
Lilibeth Payao - 400m individual medley girls 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 50m backstroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Ares Maceda - 50m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Prosper Joy Ambe - 800m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Petrix Neil Dalo - taekwondo finweight junior boys
Bernard Gaviola - javelin throw boys
Silver:
Jhayve Donaire - boxing antweight
Roy Jones Crisostomo - boxing powderweight
Joshua Orello - boxing lightflyweight
Christian Salud - 50m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 200m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 100m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Shanrud Noval - 800m freestyle girls 12 yrs & under
Bronze:
Mary Ann Cabero - shot put girls
Louie Jay Forzado - boxing vacuumweight
Lilibeth Payao - 200m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Ares Maceda - 50m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Ricardo Aragon - 400m individual medley boys 12 yrs & under
Lilibeth Payao - 400m individual medley girls 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 50m backstroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Ares Maceda - 50m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Prosper Joy Ambe - 800m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Petrix Neil Dalo - taekwondo finweight junior boys
We were not able to send the winners to the Batang Pinoy National Finals 2014 hosted again by Bacolod City because of the threat of Typhoon Ruby in December.
MAASIN CITY HOSTS EVRAA 2012
MAASIN CITY HOSTS SMOKE-FREE EVRAA 2012
As early as February 2011, right after the opening ceremonies of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Calbayog City, it was already agreed by the Regional Sports Board that Maasin City will be the host of the biggest gathering of athletes in the region by next year. It was even announced during the closing ceremony to all athletes and officials “See you in Maasin City in 2012.”
It was a distinction that earned Maasin as an aggressive host. Usually, hosts were determined just few months before the big event. But when Southern Leyte deferred its hosting for 2012, it was Maasin’s turn to be offered as the next division to stage the annual sporting event.
I consulted Gov. Damian Mercado and Cong. Roger Mercado if Southern Leyte is willing to help us as co-host of the EVRAA in 2012. As expected, the two leaders gave their yes, and immediately I informed the DepEd Regional Office of our intention to accept the hosting of the big event.
Then Maasin Schools Division Superintendent Pedro Escobarte informed the Regional Director Rosemarie Saet and the different
superintendents were unanimous in awarding the hosting of the EVRAA 2012 to Maasin City.
One good reason why they agreed to the Maasin City hosting is that the Congressman, Governor, City Mayor, provincial officials and city officials are united. This is not true to the other cities and provinces in Eastern Visayas.
On October 20, 2011, the 100 Days Countdown was launched at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza with Regional Sports Coordinator Cesar Verunque as the guest of honor. It was attended by hundreds of athletes, officials, and teachers including city employees and the general public.
But the preparations were disturbed by rains especially the preparation of the track and
field oval at the Southern Leyte Sports Complex and the baseball and soccer fields. However, covered courts were ready in the different barangays to host the indoor events. Athletes’ trainings were also interrupted by the inclement weather.
Through the persistent preparation by the Maasin City Sports Council led by Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. and the City Schools Division Sports Coordinator Fernando Salapi, everything was ready including the billeting schools and the playing venues.
It was one of the few EVRAA meets which were not postponed even if the preparations were disturbed by the rains. The 100 days countdown hit the target opening day on January 29, 2012.
Delegations kept arriving staring January 26, 2012. And every thing was set for the opening ceremony. It stopped raining in time for the opening ceremonies of the EVRAA on January 29, 2012. The opening parade kicked off the EVRAA 2012 from the plaza to the sports complex. Delegations paraded in alphabetical order, starting with Biliran, Calbayog City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar. Ormoc City, Samar, Southern Leyte, Tacloban City, and the host Maasin City was the last.
No less than Pilipinas Got Talent Grand Champion Maasinhon Trio serenaded the crowd. Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali, who was in-charge of sports in the DepEd, was the guest of honor. It showcased the unity and solidarity of our leaders which did not happen in the other provinces and cities.
As in any Olympics, SEA Games or Asian Games, the lighting of the Friendship Flame was the highlight of the opening. Our national gold and silver medalists carried the torch around the track. To the surprise of the audience, the runners stopped in front of the grandstand to turn over the privilege of lighting the urn to the “true champion of sports in Maasin City.” I run with the athletes to the place where the urn was situated. To the background music of the movie “Superman” and “The Ten Commandments” the urn was lighted and the EVRAA signage was lighted by fireworks.
The urn and signage lighting was invented by city hall scientist Rudolph Sanchez upon my suggestion that it should be the climax of the opening ceremonies. It was the
tradition of major international games that the lighting of the urn will be the biggest surprise of the opening. We started the parade at 3:00 P.M. apart from the usual 1:00 P.M. to let the ceremony reach sunset.
Another grand show of fireworks lighted the sky when the EVRAA 2012 was formally opened by Director Luisa Bautista-Yu. All were impressed of the grand display of pyrotechnics which happened only in the Maasin hosting of the EVRAA. What followed was the very enjoyable Welcome Night at the city gym.
The sun shone so brightly and the highlighted lighting of the Friendship Flame, the pyrotechnics of the EVRAA signage and the fireworks display went on perfectly. The rains came back when the EVRAA came to a close.
Maasin City delegation was housed at the Maasin City College campus. It was so secured and we had protected the rooms from vandalisms especially that we can impose discipline on our own athletes. The rooms were newly painted but there were no writings whatsoever because we let them love the building because it is our own college, financed and operated by the city government.
Competitions began on January 30. As expected powerhouse Leyte dominated most of the games. They are the biggest delegation numbering more than 600 athletes and officials. Maasin City athletes fought hard to show the home crowd that we are determined to become champions in some events and to go for the gold.
The most interesting of all was our delegation in the archery event. Only three days before the start of the games, the bows and arrows ordered from Manila arrived. The athletes practically were briefed on the basics of archery for two weeks only. It was the first time we joined archery in the EVRAA. The boys’ team placed 4th and the girls’ team placed 5th out of 8 participating teams.
We also fielded entries in arnis for the first time in EVRAA history. And our girls garnered 6 gold medals enroute to winning the championship in their division. They trained for only five months and started from scratch, like archery.
Although Leyte won the secondary boys’ boxing by a solitary
bronze medal, and Maasin City won the elementary boys’ boxing with 2 golds and 1 silver, Maasin won the unofficial overall championship in boxing with a medal tally of 3 golds and 2 silvers as compared to Leyte’s 2-2-1 tally.
In the qualifying round and in the semi-final round, all 5 boxers of Maasin City won their bouts via referee stopped contest (RSC). The boxers abilities improved with the training they got from Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP). No less than 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Roel Velasco came to Maasin to train our coaches and referees. Also, our own boxer Edillo Abrea now training in Baguio City at the ABAP national camp came home to share his knowledge to our amateurs.
Maasin City’s elementary
girls’ volleyball team successfully defended their title by taking the gold medal. Last year in Calbayog, they were also champions. The girls come from Malapoc Norte Elementary School and practiced religiously everyday until evening.
Maasin City became champions in boys’ and girls’ swimming, girls’ volleyball, and boys’ boxing in the elementary and in the girls’ swimming, girls’ arnis, boys’ badminton, and girls’ table tennis in the secondary division. In the elementary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place and Maasin City 3rd place. In the secondary level, Leyte got 1st place, Eastern Samar 2nd place, Ormoc City 3rd place, and Maasin City tied with Tacloban City at 4th place.
In the overall championship, Leyte
was 1st, Eastern Samar was 2nd, and Maasin City was 3rd. Our consolation was that Maasin City emerged the top city as it bested Ormoc City (4th place), Tacloban City (5th place) and Calbayog City (10th place). The other delegations’ overall standings were Northern Samar (6th place), Southern Leyte (7th place), Samar (8th place), and Biliran (9th place).
Leyte dominated practically all events in both secondary and elementary levels. The Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) organized by their provincial government was a big plus factor to Leyte’s dominance. So Maasin City learned a lot from the LSA, especially from Dr, Lucrecio Calo, the consultant and organizer of the LSA. He was a retired Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Maasin City became the champion in the secondary division when it hosted the EVRAA in 2005. It was the time when the standings were decided in terms of medals won. This time the point system similar to that of the Palarong Pambasa was used.
On the other hand, if we failed to win the championship, we were rated “excellent” by Mr. Verunque on the matter of hosting the games. During the evaluation conducted by the tournament managers days before the opening, they rated our playing venues at 95%. According to them, this is the first time alternate venues were prepared for volleyball and lawn tennis in case it rains so the games won’t be interrupted.
There was only one reported case of
theft during the EVRAA. It happened at the Maasin City National High School where the Calbayog City delegation was housed. I was ashamed of the incident because when we were in Calbayog during the EVRAA 2011 we were safe from robbers because of the tight security of the PNP and the Army. The PNP caught the robber and we presented him to the delegation. He could no longer return the robbed money so I paid the victim more than the amount stolen from her. She was a mother of a badminton athlete. The suspect was a known thief and robber in Barangay Combado where the city high school was situated.
Officials gave positive feedbacks on our hosting. They would want to be back to Maasin in the future hosting of the regional meet. They appreciated our Smoke-Free EVRAA and those officials who were smokers were
able to reduce if not eradicate their smoking vice. I told them, “I helped extend your life by several minutes or even hours and days.”
All posts in the poblacion area were marked with tarpaulins indicating “Thank You for Observing our No Smoking Policy.” These also include billeting quarters and playing venues.
True to its theme “School Sports: Avenue for a Healthy Lifestyle,” the EVRAA 2012 was the first ever “Smoke-Free EVRAA.” For it was held in the city that cares for the health.
SCOUTING ACTIVITIES AND MEMOIRS
SCOUTING ACTIVITIES AND MEMOIRS
I was a boy scout since elementary days in Saint Joseph College. During our time, scouting is part of the curriculum and it is integrated in our physical education, health and music program. Every month of October, we joined thousands of boy scouts all over Maasin in filling up the whole Anatalio Gaviola Plaza for the scouting rallies and camporal contests.
We experienced cooking and building fires including first aid and tree planting. Knot tying is one basic skill which was very useful in our everyday
practical life. Troop formations strengthened our team building with other scouts. There were games played also by patrols during scout gatherings.
When I was first year high school student, I applied to join the 6th Regional Jamborette in Sibulan, Negros Oriental near Dumaguete City. I cried because I was declared unfit by a government physician to join the Jamborette. I was diagnosed to have asthma which actually I don't have. I was really very interested to go with the Saint Joseph College delegation joining the Southern Leyte Council contingent.
With the support of my parents, we seek medical clearance from another government physician and I was given the go signal to go with the group. That was year 1975 and amidst the big waves in
crossing Cebu to Negros island, I was able to survive the first solid test of overcoming my seasickness.
Our tents were not ready made during that time and we had to build them. We cooked food using firewood. I survived the tests of outdoor life. The whole activity was rocked by an incident, a scout from Cebu got drowned and died in the camp swimming pool. Our contingent was safe though and we went home to Maasin full of pride, like soldiers going home from war.
When I was in the third year high school, I joined the 6th National Jamboree in Camp Capitol Hills, Cebu City. The whole SJC delegation was booked at Subcamp Ancajas just very near the arena. We cooked our own food, joined several camp activities including the very challenging adventure trail, and hiked several kilometers from the city to Lahug where our camp was situated.
We experienced New Year as we welcomed 1978 full of revelry in the camp. The jamboree was also hit by a typhoon and we experienced flooding of our camp. But we survived the nature's wrath and went home to Maasin safely.
In my 4th year in high school, even if I was already an officer in the Citizen's Army Training (CAT), I still joined the 1st Southern Leyte Provincial Jamborette in December 1978 as staff. It was held at Danao, Malapoc Norte. We were facilitators in the different activities and did household chores in the camp official's quarters.
There was a lull in my scouting when I was in college until my early professional days. But in 1992 when I was elected Sangguniang Bayan Member (Municipal Councilor) I was elected into the Council Executive Board with the position of 2nd Vice Chairman. After 14 years, I was back to Scouting!
With Congressman Roger Mercado as the Council Chairman, we hold the 2nd Provincial Jamborette, also 14 years had passed since the first one when I was still a student. It was conducted at the Capitol Sunken Garden. The 3rd and 4th Provincial Jamborette followed until 1998 when then Gov. Rosette Lerias was elected as the Council Chairman and I was chosen the 1st Vice Chairman.
In 2001 I was elected as Council Chairman for Southern Leyte. We hold the 5th Provincial Jamborette at Danao, this time called the
Maasin City Forest Park. After 23 years, Scouting is back at Danao!
As Council Chairman we sent contingents to the 12th National Jamboree at Palo, Leyte in 2001, the 2nd National Scout Venture at Sorsogon City in 2002, the 12th Eastern Visayas Regional Jamborette at Cebu in 2004, the 13th National Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2004, the 3rd National Scout Venture at Cebu in 2005, the 4th National Rover Moot at Cabadbaran in 2005, the 2nd BIMP-EAGA Urban Jamboree at Davao City in 2006, the Centennial Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2007, the 4th National Scout Venture at Mambajao, Camiguin in 2008, the 5th National Rover Moot at Davao City in 2008, the 6th National Rover Moot at Tumauini, Isabela in 2009, the 2nd Border Jamboree at Zamboanga City in 2009, the 26th Asia-Pacific Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2009, the 14th National Diamond Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2011. I joined all these jamborees to give moral booster to our scouts.
I attended two national jamborees in Mt. Makiling with my wife Chona and three sons. During the national jamboree in 2004 we spent New Year and Chona's birthday in the camp. The other one was the Diamond Jubilee Jamboree in 2011. My sons attended the National Eagle Conclave that time.
Two times, in the 26th Asia-Pacific Jamboree and the National Diamond Jamboree, I acted as sub-camp chief. For the first one, it included delegations from other countries such Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan and delegations from other regions. In the second one, the subcamp included all Visayas contingents.
During my chairmanship, the first batch of Rover Scouts, scouts aged 16 and above or college level, were accepted into the scouting movement in Southern Leyte through rover vigils and investiture programs. First conducted were the Sangguniang Kabataan chairmen, then SK kagawads, youth leaders, then college students especially from Maasin City College. Thousands of rover scouts were trained into the ideals of scouting. They were oriented on the five rocks of life which blocks their way to success. These stumbling blocks include irreligion, humbuggery, alcoholism, gambling and womanizing.
We had institutionalized the Kab Olympics for the Kab Scouts who were grades one up to grades four. It was held every year for the Charter Day celebration since 2003. Hundreds of Kab Scouts all over Maasin City converged to play games with their parents.
We conducted Patrol Leaders' Training Course in all districts of Maasin City Division and in all districts in Southern Leyte Division. Also, Basic Training Course were held for adult leaders all throughout Southern Leyte.
We trained scouts for advancement. After five years and after several jamborees that they joined, we produced five Eagle Scouts, the first in Southern Leyte. Three of these were my sons - Mallory Samaco, Marton Samaco and Marlon Samaco - and Karl Pete Carrayo and Jefferson Dances.
Maasin City and Southern Leyte Council hosted the 13th Regional Jamborette in 2008. The first time a regional boy scouts activity was conducted in the province. It again hosted the 7th National Rover Moot and the 1st One Visayas Jamborette simultaneously in 2010. Again it was the first time the province hosted such big activities.
I was elected Regional Chairman for Eastern Visayas Region which includes Regions 7 and 8. That was in 2009, when the Regional Scout Committee meeting was held in Maasin City. I was reelected during the regional elections in 2010 at Siquijor and again reelected in 2011 at Northern Samar. Other regional meetings I presided were held in Cebu City and Naval, Biliran.
As Regional Chairman, the Regional Scout Committee was able to establish two new associate
councils. These are the Tacloban City Associate Council and the Siquijor Associate Council. I also lobbied for their approval at the national level.
I became an automatic member of the National Executive Board. I attended board meetings and Annual National Council Meetings such as those in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Makati, and Zamboanga. I had several occasions of meeting Vice President and BSP National President Jejomar Binay. Every time we met he called me giant killer because of what happened in the 2007 mayoral elections.
During the Annual National Council Meeting in Zamboanga City, I made a PowerPoint presentation of Maasin City and Southern Leyte as prospective host to the National Rover Moot to some 300 delegates and scout executives from all over the Philippines.
As Regional Chairman I hosted the woodbadge training for troop leaders in Maasin in 2009 where I was a trainee. It was participated in by adult leaders from the entire region. Probably I was the only incumbent local chief executive in the entire country who participated in a training so rigid and humiliating as the woodbadge for troop leaders. During that time, I was not treated as mayor but as an ordinary adult leader. We cooked our own food, slept in tents, hiked, jogged, swam the muddy lake, went through obstacles and undergone training through sleepless nights for eight days.
In 2011, we had conducted again the same woodbadge training at City Forest Park. This time it was a back-to-back training for kawan leaders and troop leaders from all over the region. Kawan leaders are for the Kab Scouts while troop leaders are for the Boy Scouts.
In 2012, we conducted again a woodbadge training for Eastern Visayas region at Camp Danao, this time only for troop leaders. This time Chona joined the training and survived the eight days without adequate sleep.
I addressed to more than 200 scout executives, field scout executives, council staff members, and commissioners during the 52nd Annual National Scout Executives Conference at Bohol Plaza, Tagbilaran, Bohol in 2011. I discussed our scouting programs in Southern Leyte Council and Eastern Visayas Region.
We also recruited street children to our Neighborhood Scouting program. These twenty-two boys were out-of-school youth and they were called bakal boys because they steal iron and steel for selling to junk yards. Sixteen of them survived the training and had joined a provincial and a national jamboree. They stopped their stealing trade and planted vegetables at the backyard of the BSP office to earn money.
These boys were enrolled in the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education. They graduated on December 2011. We are still hoping that some of these boys will get the Eagle Rank and become the first out-of-school youth in the whole Philippines to be advanced as Eagle Scouts.
I received two national awards during two Annual
National Council Meetings. The first one at Dusit Hotel, Makati City on 2002, recognizing the donation of a camp site for the boy scouts at Danao and the numerous financial assistance given by the city government to the BSP. The second one a Bronze Usa Award at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center, Iloilo City in 2010 for years of exemplary service to scouting.
In October 2011, the Golden Jubilee Jamboree was held at Camp Danao, Maasin City Forest Park. Fifty years had passed since the BSP Southern Leyte Council was established a year after the province was born.
In December 2012, we had our Christmas Jamborette at the same venue. We conducted our first Skills Olympics in October 2013 for boy and senior scouts. In December 2013, because of Typhoon Yolanda, we cancelled the scheduled Christmas Jamborette and instead organized scouting activities simultaneously in each school.
In December 2014 we had our 53rd Christmas Jamborette in commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of scouting in Southern Leyte.
During the 59th Annual Council Meeting at Tagum City, Davao del Norte on May 20-22, 2014 where I was awarded Most Outstanding Council Chairman. I received the highest award given that time from Vice President Binay. I was also awarded the Silver Usa award.
I'm very glad that I am very much a part of scouting history in Southern Leyte and all throughout the country. On my honor, I did my best to do my duty to God and my country.
THE REAL TOBACCO-FREE CITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
THE REAL TOBACCO-FREE CITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
I launched our anti-smoking campaign on World No-Tobacco Day on May 31, 2009. It was a Monday and during the flag ceremony I destroyed two reams of Marlboro blue seal before the employees of the city hall. These were given to me as birthday gift last May 24, 2009 during my 46th birthday celebration thinking I would give it to my constituents.
The cigarettes were cut by scissors one by one and dumped into the trash bins. It ushered a formal declaration of a massive advocacy on the ill effects of tobacco smoking. Before that, the campaign was introduced by the World Health Organization and the Department of Health during a seminar on our health personnel on April 29, 2009 at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City.
Maasin Anti-Smoking Advocacy Movement began. What followed were a series of smoking cessation seminars in coordination with the DOH and the Bloomberg Foundation. I initiated the posting of No Smoking stickers on motorcabs. We conducted announcement using public address system on public places informing the people that our anti-smoking program is on. Our Healthy City Enforcers informed public utility vehicles at checkpoints of the anti-smoking laws implemented by the city government, especially on visitors and tourists.
We had conducted information drive in all barangays on Republic Act No. 9211, "An Act Regulating The Packaging, Use, Sale, Distribution and Advertisements of Tobacco Products and Other Purposes" and City Ordinance No. 2009-042 "The Smoke-Free Ordinance of the City of Maasin, Southern Leyte." Anti-smoking campaign were also conducted to all drivers of public utility vehicles including motorcabs and pedicabs.
The Seventh day Adventists supported us in our seminars. During their Visayas Youth Assembly held at Maasin City Forest Park, Adventists from all parts of the Visayas, including their pastors, manifested their appreciation on our political will to campaign our people against smoking. The Church continued supporting our endeavors through their prayers and always inspired us to continue our cause for the good health of our constituents
All other religious denominations through the association of the different pastors in Maasin, showed their support by inviting me in one of their meetings. They pledged their support by inspiring their church members to refrain from smoking. The program also earned the support of the Muslim community through their imam.
Of course the biggest inspiration came from the dominant Roman Catholic Church and religious organizations like Knights of Columbus and Gawad Kalinga who showed undying support to our advocacy. Some priests including the bishop appreciated our advocacy and aired their sentiments during their homilies.
Non-government organizations, civic clubs and private establishments helped us in our campaign by posting tarpaulins urging people to quit smoking. These includes pictures on the ill effects of tobacco. We removed cigarette advertisements, including billboards and signages in business establishments.
The Maasin City Jail became a smoke-free city jail, the first in Region 8 and probably in the whole Philippines. It was not an easy task controlling smoking in a place where suspected criminals and convicts are housed. At first inmates protested and threatened to stage a hunger strike. I explained that it is for their own good. Non-smokers suffered much the consequences in a congested prison cell if smoking is tolerated. Later the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology (BJMP) Regional Director ordered that all jails in Eastern Visayas should follow the example of Maasin City.
I campaigned on all city employees to stop smoking. Certificate of non-smoker is required for all employees, permanent, casual or job order. Those who could not quit right away were required to undergo smoking cessation seminars. A single cigarette butt in the city hall is very rare. Even people who transacted business at the city hall were barred from smoking in the city hall premises. Employees wear badges "Serbisyong Walay Sigarilyo" (No Smoking Service).
Maasin City College, owned and operated by the city government, is now the number one smoke-free college campus in Eastern Visayas and was awarded by the DOH. Mere position of cigarette, match or lighter in the MCC campus is strictly prohibited.
Maasin City Forest Park at Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte, where the Maasin City Zoo is situated, is declared as a smoke-free zone. In one activity participated by delegates all over the country, during the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines 7th National Rover Moot and One-Visayas Jamboree all participants, adult leaders and visitors were prohibited from smoking.
Motorcabs' and pedicabs' franchises were not renewed if they did not print No Smoking signs inside their vehicles. Smoking is strictly prohibited in public utility vehicles and in public places such as plaza, market, terminal, schools, hospitals, clinics, restaurants and other covered places. Public place is defined as a place where people converge including streets.
I was able to convince the management of the provincial hospital especially smoking doctors to refrain from their vices especially if patients could view them smoking. Besides the Province of Southern Leyte has passed an ordinance declaring the province as smoke-free. A smoking area was also designated in the cockpit.
Tobacco advertisements and promotions were prohibited. Tarpaulins showing the ill effects of a smoker's body and campaigning people to quit smoking abound the streets and public places instead.
Maasin won its first Red Orchid Award given by the Department of Health in coordination with the World Health Organization and the Bloomberg Foundation on May 31, 2010. Red orchid is the most sensitive of all varieties of orchids. When there's smoke due to pollution or cigarette, it withers. Maasin City is one of the only five local government units awarded the Red Orchid which include Davao City, Legaspi City, Talisayan in Misamis Oriental and Calauag in Quezon.
The search by the DOH is joined by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in its quest for Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care, living a healthy lifestyle in an environment free from tobacco smoke.
The DOH Red Orchid Awards winners are judged based on the strength of comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% Tobacco-Free Environment using the World Health Organization MPOWER initiative. MPOWER is an acronym that denotes the six proven tobacco control policies, namely: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit tobacco use; Warn against the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco advertising; and Raise taxes on tobacco.
The following year on May 31, 2011, Maasin City led all cities in receiving its second Red Orchid Award. Davao City, Roxas City, Balanga City and Legaspi City also were awarded. There were also 13 municipalities who received the Red Orchid, including Pintuyan and Naval, who conducted seminars and learned the techniques in Maasin.
During the awarding, I met Running Priest Father Robert Reyes, a staunch advocate of anti-smoking. In his runs, he spread the word on the killer effects of tobacco. We had conducted also our Takbo Kontra Tabako on May 23, 2011 one day before my birthday. It was a run for a cause and all the proceeds were given as financial assistance to victims of tobacco-related diseases.
We have promoted the No Smoking Home and gave stickers to residencial houses who wanted to make their houses smoke-free. The Blue Ribbon award was given to smoke free private establishments and the private sector who assisted us in our advocacy. We also conducted a search for Outstanding Smoke-Free Barangays or the Barangay Red Orchid Awards, following the format of the DOH Red Orchids Award.
We have established three smoking cessation clinics, at the City Health Offices I, II and III at Barangays Asuncion, San Rafael, and Manhilo, respectively. Smoking is considered as the fifth vital sign of a patient, the others being blood pressure, body temperature, height and weight, in our health offices, centers and stations. The Smoking Cessation Clinic is established at the Office of the City Mayor.
Volunteers' training was conducted to recruit anti-smoking volunteers among students, barangay tanods, Sangguniang Kabataan officials and members, and out-of-school youths and they were issued identification cards.
On May 29, 2012, Maasin City won the Hall of Fame by getting the third Red Orchid Award together with the other Hall of Famers Davao City, Legaspi City, Calauag in Quezon and Talisayan in Misamis Oriental at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City. We were awarded a P500,000 project grant on tobacco control for us who won for three consecutive years. We used the money to buy LCD projector and sound system for our advocacy.
There was DOH Caraga Region who conducted studies in Maasin. Four municipalites of Biliran and two of Southern Leyte became recipients of our seminar-trainings. The masteral students of Southwestern University from Cebu conducted their lakbay aral primarily to learn how effective the anti-tobacco program of Maasin is. Nursing students from different schools made a survey on our people on the lessening or quitting of their smoking habits.
DOH Calabarzon also visited Maasin for an educational tour. The Philippine Ports Authority also came to learn on how to make the ports tobacco free. I was invited by Tacloban City to conduct a seminar on their enforcers on how to implement the anti-smoking law.
I campaigned anti-smoking thoroughly to all barangay captains and other officials. A Barangay Red Orchid Award was conducted with big prizes awaiting the winners in the urban and rural category.
The 2012 Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Maasin became the first ever smoke-free EVRAA. Coaches, trainers and officials are prohibited from smoking to show good examples to their athletes.
When Maasin hosted the National Boxing Championships on February last year and the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg on September of last year. Both events were participated in by delegations from all parts of the county and were declared smoke-free, the first in the history of the two sporting events in the country.
I visited the different schools of the city and campaigned room to room on pupils and students. I warned them of the law prohibiting minors on buying cigarettes and cautioned them not to buy tobacco when told by their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other elders. I also urged the children to tell their elders to quit smoking because of their concern for their health.
In a great show of political will and to show how serious we are in our anti-smoking campaign, I cancelled all permits for the selling of cigarettes in the entire city. This is to give thorough investigation on the distances of stores from hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries, laboratories, gas stations and storage areas, daycare centers, schools, colleges and other facilities frequented by minors. We do this for the concern of the health of our constituents especially the wives, mothers and children who are greatly affected by second-hand smoke.
I called stores and residences every Monday at the office warning them against selling of cigarettes. We conducted a seminar on them on the perils of tobacco smoke. We have closed stores who continued to sell cigarettes in San Rafael, Tagnipa, Mambajao, Mantahan, Canturing, and Sorosoro.
Our campaign is primarily against the most common legal addictive drug, and that's the cigarette. In Maasin, we consider smoking as a form of addiction. While marijuana is medicinal, it is banned because of its addictive nature. And smoking is considered a habit forming vice, bad for the health, bad for the pocket, and bad for the future of our children. Smoking is considered as the first step towards drug addiction.
We have a Facebook Page called Maasin Anti-Smoking Advocacy Movement.
I launched our anti-smoking campaign on World No-Tobacco Day on May 31, 2009. It was a Monday and during the flag ceremony I destroyed two reams of Marlboro blue seal before the employees of the city hall. These were given to me as birthday gift last May 24, 2009 during my 46th birthday celebration thinking I would give it to my constituents.
The cigarettes were cut by scissors one by one and dumped into the trash bins. It ushered a formal declaration of a massive advocacy on the ill effects of tobacco smoking. Before that, the campaign was introduced by the World Health Organization and the Department of Health during a seminar on our health personnel on April 29, 2009 at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City.
Maasin Anti-Smoking Advocacy Movement began. What followed were a series of smoking cessation seminars in coordination with the DOH and the Bloomberg Foundation. I initiated the posting of No Smoking stickers on motorcabs. We conducted announcement using public address system on public places informing the people that our anti-smoking program is on. Our Healthy City Enforcers informed public utility vehicles at checkpoints of the anti-smoking laws implemented by the city government, especially on visitors and tourists.
We had conducted information drive in all barangays on Republic Act No. 9211, "An Act Regulating The Packaging, Use, Sale, Distribution and Advertisements of Tobacco Products and Other Purposes" and City Ordinance No. 2009-042 "The Smoke-Free Ordinance of the City of Maasin, Southern Leyte." Anti-smoking campaign were also conducted to all drivers of public utility vehicles including motorcabs and pedicabs.
The Seventh day Adventists supported us in our seminars. During their Visayas Youth Assembly held at Maasin City Forest Park, Adventists from all parts of the Visayas, including their pastors, manifested their appreciation on our political will to campaign our people against smoking. The Church continued supporting our endeavors through their prayers and always inspired us to continue our cause for the good health of our constituents
All other religious denominations through the association of the different pastors in Maasin, showed their support by inviting me in one of their meetings. They pledged their support by inspiring their church members to refrain from smoking. The program also earned the support of the Muslim community through their imam.
Of course the biggest inspiration came from the dominant Roman Catholic Church and religious organizations like Knights of Columbus and Gawad Kalinga who showed undying support to our advocacy. Some priests including the bishop appreciated our advocacy and aired their sentiments during their homilies.
Non-government organizations, civic clubs and private establishments helped us in our campaign by posting tarpaulins urging people to quit smoking. These includes pictures on the ill effects of tobacco. We removed cigarette advertisements, including billboards and signages in business establishments.
The Maasin City Jail became a smoke-free city jail, the first in Region 8 and probably in the whole Philippines. It was not an easy task controlling smoking in a place where suspected criminals and convicts are housed. At first inmates protested and threatened to stage a hunger strike. I explained that it is for their own good. Non-smokers suffered much the consequences in a congested prison cell if smoking is tolerated. Later the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology (BJMP) Regional Director ordered that all jails in Eastern Visayas should follow the example of Maasin City.
I campaigned on all city employees to stop smoking. Certificate of non-smoker is required for all employees, permanent, casual or job order. Those who could not quit right away were required to undergo smoking cessation seminars. A single cigarette butt in the city hall is very rare. Even people who transacted business at the city hall were barred from smoking in the city hall premises. Employees wear badges "Serbisyong Walay Sigarilyo" (No Smoking Service).
Maasin City College, owned and operated by the city government, is now the number one smoke-free college campus in Eastern Visayas and was awarded by the DOH. Mere position of cigarette, match or lighter in the MCC campus is strictly prohibited.
Maasin City Forest Park at Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte, where the Maasin City Zoo is situated, is declared as a smoke-free zone. In one activity participated by delegates all over the country, during the Boy Scouts of the
Philippines 7th National Rover Moot and One-Visayas Jamboree all participants, adult leaders and visitors were prohibited from smoking.
Motorcabs' and pedicabs' franchises were not renewed if they did not print No Smoking signs inside their vehicles. Smoking is strictly prohibited in public utility vehicles and in public places such as plaza, market, terminal, schools, hospitals, clinics, restaurants and other covered places. Public place is defined as a place where people converge including streets.
I was able to convince the management of the provincial hospital especially smoking doctors to refrain from their vices especially if patients could view them smoking. Besides the Province of Southern Leyte has passed an ordinance declaring the province as smoke-free. A smoking area was also designated in the cockpit.
Tobacco advertisements and promotions were prohibited. Tarpaulins showing the ill effects of a smoker's body and campaigning people to quit smoking abound the streets and public places instead.
Maasin won its first Red Orchid Award given by the Department of Health in coordination with the World Health Organization and the Bloomberg Foundation on May 31, 2010. Red orchid is the most sensitive of all varieties of orchids. When there's smoke due to pollution or cigarette, it withers. Maasin City is one of the only five local government units awarded the Red Orchid which include Davao City, Legaspi City, Talisayan in Misamis Oriental and Calauag in Quezon.
The search by the DOH is joined by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in its quest for Kalusugang Pangkalahatan or Universal Health Care, living a healthy lifestyle in an environment free from tobacco smoke.
The DOH Red Orchid Awards winners are judged based on the strength of comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% Tobacco-Free Environment using the World Health Organization MPOWER initiative. MPOWER is an acronym that denotes the six proven tobacco control policies, namely: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies; Protect people from tobacco smoke; Offer help to quit tobacco use; Warn against the dangers of tobacco; Enforce bans on tobacco advertising; and Raise taxes on tobacco.
The following year on May 31, 2011, Maasin City led all cities in receiving its second Red Orchid Award. Davao City, Roxas City, Balanga City and Legaspi City also were awarded. There were also 13 municipalities who received the Red Orchid, including Pintuyan and Naval, who conducted seminars and learned the techniques in Maasin.
During the awarding, I met Running Priest Father Robert Reyes, a staunch advocate of anti-smoking. In his runs, he spread the word on the killer effects of tobacco. We had conducted also our Takbo Kontra Tabako on May 23, 2011 one day before my birthday. It was a run for a cause and all the proceeds were given as financial assistance to victims of tobacco-related diseases.
We have promoted the No Smoking Home and gave stickers to residencial houses who wanted to make their houses smoke-free. The Blue Ribbon award was given to smoke free private establishments and the private sector who assisted us in our advocacy. We also conducted a search for Outstanding Smoke-Free Barangays or the Barangay Red Orchid Awards, following the format of the DOH Red Orchids Award.
We have established three smoking cessation clinics, at the City Health Offices I, II and III at Barangays Asuncion, San Rafael, and Manhilo, respectively. Smoking is considered as the fifth vital sign of a patient, the others being blood pressure, body temperature, height and weight, in our health offices, centers and stations. The Smoking Cessation Clinic is established at the Office of the City Mayor.
Volunteers' training was conducted to recruit anti-smoking volunteers among students, barangay tanods, Sangguniang Kabataan officials and members, and out-of-school youths and they were issued identification cards.
On May 29, 2012, Maasin City won the Hall of Fame by getting the third Red Orchid Award together with the other Hall of Famers Davao City, Legaspi City, Calauag in Quezon and Talisayan in Misamis Oriental at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City. We were awarded a P500,000 project grant on tobacco control for us who won for three consecutive years. We used the money to buy LCD projector and sound system for our advocacy.
There was DOH Caraga Region who conducted studies in Maasin. Four municipalites of Biliran and two of Southern Leyte became recipients of our seminar-trainings. The masteral students of Southwestern University from Cebu conducted their lakbay aral primarily to learn how effective the anti-tobacco program of Maasin is. Nursing students from different schools made a survey on our people on the lessening or quitting of their smoking habits.
DOH Calabarzon also visited Maasin for an educational tour. The Philippine Ports Authority also came to learn on how to make the ports tobacco free. I was invited by Tacloban City to conduct a seminar on their enforcers on how to implement the anti-smoking law.
I campaigned anti-smoking thoroughly to all barangay captains and other officials. A Barangay Red Orchid Award was conducted with big prizes awaiting the winners in the urban and rural category.
The 2012 Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Maasin became the first ever smoke-free EVRAA. Coaches, trainers and officials are prohibited from smoking to show good examples to their athletes.
When Maasin hosted the National Boxing Championships on February last year and the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg on September of last year. Both events were participated in by delegations from all parts of the county and were declared smoke-free, the first in the history of the two sporting events in the country.
I visited the different schools of the city and campaigned room to room on pupils and students. I warned them of the law prohibiting minors on buying cigarettes and cautioned them not to buy tobacco when told by their fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other elders. I also urged the children to tell their elders to quit smoking because of their concern for their health.
In a great show of political will and to show how serious we are in our anti-smoking campaign, I cancelled all permits for the selling of cigarettes in the entire city. This is to give thorough investigation on the distances of stores from hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries, laboratories, gas stations and storage areas, daycare centers, schools, colleges and other facilities frequented by minors. We do this for the concern of the health of our constituents especially the wives, mothers and children who are greatly affected by second-hand smoke.
I called stores and residences every Monday at the office warning them against selling of cigarettes. We conducted a seminar on them on the perils of tobacco smoke. We have closed stores who continued to sell cigarettes in San Rafael, Tagnipa, Mambajao, Mantahan, Canturing, and Sorosoro.
Our campaign is primarily against the most common legal addictive drug, and that's the cigarette. In Maasin, we consider smoking as a form of addiction. While marijuana is medicinal, it is banned because of its addictive nature. And smoking is considered a habit forming vice, bad for the health, bad for the pocket, and bad for the future of our children. Smoking is considered as the first step towards drug addiction.
We have a Facebook Page called Maasin Anti-Smoking Advocacy Movement.
MAYOR AND MEDIAMAN
MAYOR AND MEDIAMAN
American Muslim minister Malcolm X said: "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.
I was an Associate Editor of our school organ The Josephinian in my Alma Mater Saint Joseph
College from 1981 to 1984. It was my first taste of writing for a publication. I would have been editor-in-chief in 1983-84 but I waived it because of an existing academic scholarship and the vice presidency in the College Students Supreme Council.
When I was in the fifth year college, I tried out for a slot in the Philippine Information Agency through examinations by written essays. I passed handily the writing tests. But when I was orally interviewed, I was informed that they would want a graduate. Nonetheless, I experienced a good passing grade in my writings.
When Radio Station DYDM opened on January 6, 1991, it was the first time Maasin had its own radio broadcasting from within its area. I joined the DYDM broadcast in March 30, 1991 with my program entitled “Sports Roundup.” At first it was a block time program and went on air every Saturday at 10:30 A.M. Later it became station produced and I went on board at the station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1:00 P.M.
I admitted that the radio exposure helped me a lot in my joining the politics in 1992. Although a media ban is imposed on candidates 45 days prior to the election as mandated by the Omnibus Election Code.
When I became Municipal Councilor, I reported as the Sportscaster for the sports segment of daily newscast “Pamahaw Balita.” I delivered information every morning regarding basketball, boxing and other sports. Most notable were my updates on the Philippine Basketball Association
(PBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) where I had many followers.
There was no internet in Maasin yet and there were not enough sports information on TV so my sports news gave the opportunity for sports buffs to be updated on what's going on in the sports world.
The span of the broadcast was from 1993 to 1998 when I became Municipal Vice Mayor. Then I went back to every Saturday broadcast at 8:00 A.M. because of my pressing schedule as number two man of Maasin.
I had also other broadcasts which were not about sports. I had a program “Public Affairs Bureau” and “Kalamboan” but both were short lived.
Tony Reyes approached me when the Southern Leyte Times (SLT) was at the planning stage and I readily accepted the offer to write a column on sports. I missed writing in print media and it so happened that the subject was my forte. I had been buying and reading Sports Weekly Magazine and other sports magazines since I was an elementary student until at present.
SLT printed its maiden issue on August 1998 and I became a pioneer editorial staff, as Sports Editor and as columnist. My column was entitled “Sports Roundup” similar to that of my DYDM broadcast. Every week my sports stories would be printed.
My first column was about the Sporting Greats of Southern Leyte. In the succeeding issues I wrote about Ramon Fernandez, Joaquin Rojas, Ringo Navarrosa, Tacy Macalos and Rod Sequinan.
I met Manny Pacquiao with Quinito Henson at Bayside Restaurant in Manila. I congratulated him on his win. He was still a budding Philippine champion at that time and was still unknown in the entire country and I wrote about him in the SLT. Henson, the Philippine Star sports columnist is really my idol as a sports writer.
At the height of the cityhood movement for Maasin, I had a program over Maasin Cable Television called “Alagad sa Katawhan - Aksyon Solusyon Inisyatibo.” At first it was called “Kapihan sa Maasin” where other mediamen were invited to be panellists. It was also simultaneously broadcasted over DYDM. It reported the accomplishments of the Mercado administration. It was also our media for the campaign for the cityhood of Maasin. It was aired every Wednesday.
In 2001, I resigned from the SLT. I transferred my Sports Roundup column to the Maasin Mail owned by Congressman Aniceto Saludo, Jr. I was also the Sports Editor where I was allotted one whole page for my sports column and other sports news. The reason was political, the Mercado camp was allied with the Saludo camp, while Southern Leyte Times was associated with the Lerias camp.
The Maasin Mail was edited by former Provincial Board Member Dodong Herrera, a seasoned journalist-politician. I learned from him many tips about journalism and so many rules about publications.
When the Mercados parted with then Cong. Saludo in the 2004 elections, I resigned from the Maasin Mail. After the elections, I went back went back writing at SLT from 2005 to 2008 until there
was a media ban already for candidates.
I had also a brief stint at the Leyte-Samar Daily Express Southern Leyte Edition with my column “Sportsman” until the edition was disbanded. I also wrote the same column “Sportsman” for the ANS or AMSL News Service. I also had a brief writing stint with Southern Leyte Balita, the vernacular version of the news.
I also had a column at the thereporteronline.com called “Missions And Sights And Motions.” It stopped when there was a media ban for candidates nearing the 2010 elections.
When I became City Mayor, I stopped writing for any newspaper but I began to write for the website philboxing.com which is also covered by the website mannypacquiao.ph also called “Pacland” and now pinoygreats.com. I became a contributor along with such great sportswriters as Ronnie Nathanielsz, Manny Pinol, Sev Sarmienta, Recah Trinidad, Ed Picson, Salven Lagumbay, Dr. Rene Bonsubre, Jr. Even Manny Pacquiao and Gerry Penalosa were also columnists of Philboxing.
It was The Freeman Cebu sports editor Emmanuel Villaruel who introduced me to philboxing.com through web editor Dong Secuya. I met Villaruel when they were covering an Alex Aroy fight in Maasin. My first column was about the PBF light-flyweight champion entitled “Aroy Deserves a Rematch” on September 30, 2007. Until now, I kept writing for the website if I had time.
I was also given a chance by Villaruel to contribute articles to the Sports Section of The Freeman Cebu where I wrote sporting news from Southern Leyte.
Since I became City Mayor, I had also a regular radio program paid by the city government called “Maasin City in Action.” The Tuesday edition is anchored by Zaldy Olita and it is usually where I was interviewed on my accomplishments and programs. The Thursday schedule was anchored by Royen Segovia and the Saturday edition was anchored again by Zaldy Olita where I also reported.
We were also publishing a monthly report at the Southern Leyte Balita (SLB) called “Maasin City in Action.” It was a newsletter before but we decided to print it in the newspaper so that other municipalities can read about the programs of the city. I had a message every month on our publication at SLB.
I am also a founding member of the Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL). We organized it at the old Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office at the Lim Building in the commercial area. Jani Arnaiz of The Reporter and Philippine Daily Inquirer was the first and only President until now. Jani is the son of the legend of journalism Gus Arnaiz, the dean of journalists in Eastern Visayas and publisher of The Reporter, the first Leyte-Samar weekly.
AMSL is composed of newspaper writers, radio reporters of DYDM and DYSL-Sogod, and the PIA staff. I joined their Christmas Party every year. I also called on them whenever we had important events for media coverage in the city.
I had all these experiences in the newspaper, radio, television and internet media. And I am honored to be given this rare opportunity to serve the quadri-media.
American Muslim minister Malcolm X said: "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.
I was an Associate Editor of our school organ The Josephinian in my Alma Mater Saint Joseph
College from 1981 to 1984. It was my first taste of writing for a publication. I would have been editor-in-chief in 1983-84 but I waived it because of an existing academic scholarship and the vice presidency in the College Students Supreme Council.
When I was in the fifth year college, I tried out for a slot in the Philippine Information Agency through examinations by written essays. I passed handily the writing tests. But when I was orally interviewed, I was informed that they would want a graduate. Nonetheless, I experienced a good passing grade in my writings.
When Radio Station DYDM opened on January 6, 1991, it was the first time Maasin had its own radio broadcasting from within its area. I joined the DYDM broadcast in March 30, 1991 with my program entitled “Sports Roundup.” At first it was a block time program and went on air every Saturday at 10:30 A.M. Later it became station produced and I went on board at the station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1:00 P.M.
I admitted that the radio exposure helped me a lot in my joining the politics in 1992. Although a media ban is imposed on candidates 45 days prior to the election as mandated by the Omnibus Election Code.
When I became Municipal Councilor, I reported as the Sportscaster for the sports segment of daily newscast “Pamahaw Balita.” I delivered information every morning regarding basketball, boxing and other sports. Most notable were my updates on the Philippine Basketball Association
(PBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) where I had many followers.
There was no internet in Maasin yet and there were not enough sports information on TV so my sports news gave the opportunity for sports buffs to be updated on what's going on in the sports world.
The span of the broadcast was from 1993 to 1998 when I became Municipal Vice Mayor. Then I went back to every Saturday broadcast at 8:00 A.M. because of my pressing schedule as number two man of Maasin.
I had also other broadcasts which were not about sports. I had a program “Public Affairs Bureau” and “Kalamboan” but both were short lived.
Tony Reyes approached me when the Southern Leyte Times (SLT) was at the planning stage and I readily accepted the offer to write a column on sports. I missed writing in print media and it so happened that the subject was my forte. I had been buying and reading Sports Weekly Magazine and other sports magazines since I was an elementary student until at present.
SLT printed its maiden issue on August 1998 and I became a pioneer editorial staff, as Sports Editor and as columnist. My column was entitled “Sports Roundup” similar to that of my DYDM broadcast. Every week my sports stories would be printed.
My first column was about the Sporting Greats of Southern Leyte. In the succeeding issues I wrote about Ramon Fernandez, Joaquin Rojas, Ringo Navarrosa, Tacy Macalos and Rod Sequinan.
I met Manny Pacquiao with Quinito Henson at Bayside Restaurant in Manila. I congratulated him on his win. He was still a budding Philippine champion at that time and was still unknown in the entire country and I wrote about him in the SLT. Henson, the Philippine Star sports columnist is really my idol as a sports writer.
At the height of the cityhood movement for Maasin, I had a program over Maasin Cable Television called “Alagad sa Katawhan - Aksyon Solusyon Inisyatibo.” At first it was called “Kapihan sa Maasin” where other mediamen were invited to be panellists. It was also simultaneously broadcasted over DYDM. It reported the accomplishments of the Mercado administration. It was also our media for the campaign for the cityhood of Maasin. It was aired every Wednesday.
In 2001, I resigned from the SLT. I transferred my Sports Roundup column to the Maasin Mail owned by Congressman Aniceto Saludo, Jr. I was also the Sports Editor where I was allotted one whole page for my sports column and other sports news. The reason was political, the Mercado camp was allied with the Saludo camp, while Southern Leyte Times was associated with the Lerias camp.
The Maasin Mail was edited by former Provincial Board Member Dodong Herrera, a seasoned journalist-politician. I learned from him many tips about journalism and so many rules about publications.
When the Mercados parted with then Cong. Saludo in the 2004 elections, I resigned from the Maasin Mail. After the elections, I went back went back writing at SLT from 2005 to 2008 until there
was a media ban already for candidates.
I had also a brief stint at the Leyte-Samar Daily Express Southern Leyte Edition with my column “Sportsman” until the edition was disbanded. I also wrote the same column “Sportsman” for the ANS or AMSL News Service. I also had a brief writing stint with Southern Leyte Balita, the vernacular version of the news.
I also had a column at the thereporteronline.com called “Missions And Sights And Motions.” It stopped when there was a media ban for candidates nearing the 2010 elections.
When I became City Mayor, I stopped writing for any newspaper but I began to write for the website philboxing.com which is also covered by the website mannypacquiao.ph also called “Pacland” and now pinoygreats.com. I became a contributor along with such great sportswriters as Ronnie Nathanielsz, Manny Pinol, Sev Sarmienta, Recah Trinidad, Ed Picson, Salven Lagumbay, Dr. Rene Bonsubre, Jr. Even Manny Pacquiao and Gerry Penalosa were also columnists of Philboxing.
It was The Freeman Cebu sports editor Emmanuel Villaruel who introduced me to philboxing.com through web editor Dong Secuya. I met Villaruel when they were covering an Alex Aroy fight in Maasin. My first column was about the PBF light-flyweight champion entitled “Aroy Deserves a Rematch” on September 30, 2007. Until now, I kept writing for the website if I had time.
I was also given a chance by Villaruel to contribute articles to the Sports Section of The Freeman Cebu where I wrote sporting news from Southern Leyte.
Since I became City Mayor, I had also a regular radio program paid by the city government called “Maasin City in Action.” The Tuesday edition is anchored by Zaldy Olita and it is usually where I was interviewed on my accomplishments and programs. The Thursday schedule was anchored by Royen Segovia and the Saturday edition was anchored again by Zaldy Olita where I also reported.
We were also publishing a monthly report at the Southern Leyte Balita (SLB) called “Maasin City in Action.” It was a newsletter before but we decided to print it in the newspaper so that other municipalities can read about the programs of the city. I had a message every month on our publication at SLB.
I am also a founding member of the Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL). We organized it at the old Philippine Information Agency (PIA) office at the Lim Building in the commercial area. Jani Arnaiz of The Reporter and Philippine Daily Inquirer was the first and only President until now. Jani is the son of the legend of journalism Gus Arnaiz, the dean of journalists in Eastern Visayas and publisher of The Reporter, the first Leyte-Samar weekly.
AMSL is composed of newspaper writers, radio reporters of DYDM and DYSL-Sogod, and the PIA staff. I joined their Christmas Party every year. I also called on them whenever we had important events for media coverage in the city.
I had all these experiences in the newspaper, radio, television and internet media. And I am honored to be given this rare opportunity to serve the quadri-media.
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