By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.
With that greeting, I wish to convey my enthusiastic and optimistic outlook for this new year, 2017. I intended to write only positive things for this first issue of ZigZag Weekly this year. But somewhere over the rainbow, there was a change. The message, however, will still be positive in the end.
I admire former congressman Jose S. Cojuangco Jr.’s desire to again serve as POC president. Well, anyone who is desirous to lend his/her services to a worthy cause must be given a chance to prove himself/herself. The case of Mr. Cojuangco Jr., however is quite different. He covets a position for a 4th 4-year term. Will he deliver, noting that during his past three terms, splits within NSAs were almost the norm
At a ripe (some say, over ripe) 83 years of age, he maybe sprightly, mentally alert, physically fit and intelligent but these were not translated to expected results even when he was younger. The fact is, he was recently elected to a 4th term as POC president. He ran unopposed because his potential rival, Mr. Ricky Vargas of boxing was disqualified on a “technicality”. To become a POC president, one must be a president of NSA for at least 4 years, a sitting president at the time of the election and he/she must be active in the general assembly.
Mr. Cojuangco Jr., Peping to his friends, definitely has his shining credentials. He was a former esteemed congressman and headed different sports bodies related to golf, junior bowling, horse racing and equestrian.
I am not sure how a person like Mr. Cojuangco define the term, serve, and what parameters he is using to measure accomplishments as one serves. His Equestrian Association of the Philippines, for one, is not bringing much on the table since he became POC president, starting in 2004. He can boast of the fact though that the Philippines won the 2005 SEA Games championship. But who can tell me that one coach or leader can produce recognized international champions even in a relatively “weak” games like the SEA Games in just one year? It means that the championship in 2015 was the handiwork of former officials, coaches and trainers.
One can say with certainty that Philippine sports actually slid during his 12 long years of wielding the baton at the POC. This is based on Philippine results in the SEA and Asian and Olympic Games during those 12 years. Who can forget the shameless statement of POC officials during the last SEA Games that bronze shines like gold? Any leader in any field who has the same mindset is better off tending other things, and should resign pronto.
Now, Cojuangco is being asked to resign by a lot of sports persons like Congressman Mike Romero so other interested persons who have more energy, ideas, determination, and unquestionable love of country can take over.
Definitely, there are enough leaders who are very interested and capable of steering the country to a more respectable performance in the sports world. They are leaders of NSAs which are consistently performing well every year unlike Cojuangco’s EAP which had succeeded in hiding itself from public view for the last eight years.
If Cojuangco resigns, he will do a great service to himself and to his beloved Philippines. When that happens, athletes from CAR and in other regions can surely look forward to a better sporting future. Many are hopeful though that despite Cojuangco at the POC helm our NSAs and athletes will still strive to do their best and give honor to the country.
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I took some Manila visitors to visit the BAPTC a couple of days ago. We were greeted by full-packed parking areas of the facility by fully-loaded vegetable trucks. It was a welcome sight, so unlike before. On entering the loading bays however, we were surprised that there were no buyers at all. We were told that all the buyers are still at the old Veggie Trading Post! There is something wrong somewhere. We were further informed that while mayor Romeo Salda, like mayor Edna Tabanda before him, was all in favor of the transfer of vegetable trading to BAPTC, the Sangguniang Bayan of La Trinidad, had not yet come up with the required resolution for the said transfer. The impasse does not bode well for the farmers. Is there a need for a magic wand so all officials will have one vision?
The visitors were of the opinion that the facility has a very great potential for all major stakeholders. Let’s make it happen.
AGAIN, HAPPY AND MEANINGFUL NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!