By Anthony A. Araos
Wangal is the center of virtually so many important things in La Trinidad town of Benguet. It is the site for the colorful and elaborate opening day ceremonies of this year’s Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Meet. Folks are peace-loving and industrious. They are also known for their hospitality towards visitors. La Trinidad is popular for its strawberry fields. While Benguet supplies nearly 80 percent of the vegetable needs of Luzon, the country’s main island.
In advance, congratulations to the men and women behind the staging of this competition at a town nestled on a valley which provides a stunning view of mountains in the Cordilleras. Commendations to Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas, Regional Director Estela Cario of the education department for igniting a flame of sports transformation, youth empowerment and sustainable development.
Whatever these reasons for rejoicing, still I can’t help feel bad when the scenes of Ifugao CARAA bound athletes and coaches are spending their nights at crowded classrooms at Lagawe Central School, are so vivid in my mind. They slept on the floors.
The use of public school classrooms in Ifugao for “billeting” these athletes should be disallowed as they are already aging and dilapidated.
It’s time to have honest-to-goodness, state-of-the-art Athletes Village. Say what?
I often overheard stupid and uneducated Ifugao folks saying “Wala tayong magagawa” (We can’t do anything about that). Shut up! Of course, to feel free to think that way, Years passed and they never give up on their stupidity and backwardness.
I’d say do it now! Simply because we have no fucking clue what is going to happen in 2028.
This is because Governor Dalipog now in his third and final term, and the next governor may have different plans for the province, and they measure themselves by different metrics.
Rivals of Ifugao are well-prepared. This is against the backdrop of the poor preparations of the province’s competitors and the need to make a turnaround in light of their pitiful conditions. Consider the following: worn-out training gadgets, lack of vitamins, delayed delivery of target bags in archery resulting to a day of non-training, sub-standard javelin throw equipments and so forth.
If these problems persist, Ifugao athletes are surely the top losers!
This narrative presupposes a fairly good account of what is happening to the training venues due to underfunding woes. Not to mention that they are undertrained, underequipped and even underfed. Even so, it seems unlikely that these athletes would feel “happy” (a sound bite familiar during the elections to describe the people’s condition) with these conditions.
Private-public partnership to develop the sports program of Ifugao is so essential. This partnership allows delivering much-needed facilities faster and making them more accessible to all stakeholders. At the same time, it helps to prudently raise and protect public funds through monitoring that further strengthens transparency and accountability of the same. Ultimately, this is about providing meaningful benefits to the populace, while actively contributing to nation-building. I’m so sure that concerned, educated folks share this sentiment and commitment to building a better future for every Ifugao athlete.
Encourage the active involvement of the private sector in the planning, development and implementation of key sports projects. Tap and harness the expertise of educated individuals- even if they are lowlanders, on this concern.
Everything is laid out on the table by organizers of the 2026 CARAA edition in Benguet. It’s a dynamic, joyful, hands-on way of conducting this prestigious competition. To Governor Dalipog and assistant schools division superintendent Virginia Amogan-Batan: I’m most willing to help on this matter, and it even comes free! By 2027, let’s take it one step at a time-provincial, CARAA and the Palarong Pambansa (National Games). For starters, let’s give them hot chocolate for breakfast, Gatorade for lunch and fruit juice for dinner. And coaches- Php 10,000 allowance.
I’m aware of the appreciation of the athletes for the high quality of work provided by the coaches and their contributions to society. Getting things done, and done right is part and parcel of guiding our athletes how to navigate the winning path, ultimately ensuring that Ifugao no longer continue to languish behind powerhouses Baguio City, Benguet and Abra- if the powers-that-be-can be moved into action! **
