Cebu Fire Run

The Cebu Filipino-Chinese Volunteers Fire Brigade (CFCVFB) is set to hold the Cebu Fire Run 2011 slated for March 6, 2011, Sunday at the Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu Business Park grounds.  This is in line with CFCVFB’ 30 years of dedicated service. Aside from the Run activities are lined from March 4 to 6 mall hours at the Activity Area of Ayala Center Cebu.  CFCVFB will hold a photo exhibit featuring the volunteer firefighter in action.  The photos were taken by friends and volunteers during the line of duty.

Alongside the photo exhibit are booths like a photo wall where you can have your picture taken with fire gear and hose, a lecture area and fire drill / simulation area where people can experience the proper procedure to follow in case of fire emergencies.

All these activities are geared at promoting the Learn not to Burn Program in a fun way.  Firemen in complete fire uniforms and gear will be around along with the mascot Sparky the Fire Dog.  Leaflets, bookmarks and certificates are given to the first 1,500 visitors.

The Learn Not to Burn® (LNTB®) fire safety education program that is available to elementary school children worldwide. Based on the USA’s National Fire Protection Association’s curriculum, it includes songs, stories, puppets, games and other activities to teach fire safety behavior in a way that children can understand and remember.

The Cebu Fire Run will be managed by Runcheck.  Registration details are: 15k P300.00; 7.5k P250.00; 3k P250.00.  There is also the Kiddie Dash 100 meters and 200 meters.  Run starts at 5:00 am and assembly is at 4:30 am.  Prizes are: 1st prize P7,000.00; 2nd prize P5,000.00; 3rd prize P3,000.00 plus medals.  Registration centers are: Runnr (Ayala Center Cebu); Philippine Sports Commission Office (Cebu City Sports Center); Holiday Gym; CFCV Fire Brigade Office.  For more inquiries call Mobile No. 0933-339-9111.

Since 1980, the Cebu Filipino-Chinese Volunteers Fire Brigade with its group of volunteer firemen has helped fight fires in the City and Province of Cebu.  Funding and volunteers come from the members of Cebu’s Filipino Chinese community.  These men render their service on a purely voluntary basis without thought of reward, compensation or recognition, but guided by a sense of civic duty and responsibility for the good of the community blazing a trail in the “Spirit of Volunteerism and Service “.  You may also visit www.facebook/cebufirerun.com or ask any fire brigade volunteer.

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Categorized as Running

Tennis treat awaits Treat, Cecil & Co.

The Japanese are coming!!! But, before they do, our Pinoys have arrived. Yesterday afternoon, with 11 days left before the Davis Cup begins, our Philippine tennis squad landed in Lapu-Lapu City. While the Japanese invade us this Saturday, our PHL team is here many, many hours prior to showtime.

They’ll step on the clay-court that was built brand-new by Plantation Bay. They’ll slide, serve, smother forehands and smell the air of Mactan. They’ll acclimatize. They’ll visualize next Sunday’s victory parade while carrying the flag. They’ll practice. They’ll hope that the Japanese–coming from near-freezing temperatures (it was 4 degrees Celsius in Tokyo yesterday)–will get scorched and flamed by our sun.

Davis Cup is unlike any other. It’s not one player versus another. It’s Philippines against Japan. It’s like boxing’s Pinoy Pride where Mexicans battle our own. It’s the same. Only it’s tennis. And, with tennis, we’ve never seen this giant-sized event before.

Plantation Bay Resort and Spa is the peerless site. Voted one of Asia’s best, the Pinoys and the Japs have the impeccable resort venue to unwind after grueling 5-setter matches. Davis Cup, a 111-year-old tournament involving 137 nations, is world-class. It’s just befitting that a first-rate resort play hosts.

The City of Lapu-Lapu is the organizer. Envisioned to be the sports tourism capital of our 7,107 islands, Mactan is perfect. It has plenty of water, sand and clay. Ideal for play—and, for that tennis court made of clay. Also, it was on this island where the first death of a tourist was recorded: Ferdinand Magellan was slaughtered on April 27, 1521.

Lapu-Lapu crucified him. Will Lapu-Lapu—the city—do the same? Be the venue where the Japanese tennis stars will be vanquished? Yes. I hope so. Most of all, I hope you get to watch. (Tickets, priced at P500/day or P2,500/reserved, are available at SM’s Nike Stadium or Ayala Center’s Planet Sports.)

Sports fan or not, you’ve got to make a beach outing next weekend to Marigondon. Witness how swords transform to racquets. Blood, in the form of defeat, will be spilled on clay. Speaking of clay, I had a feet-on (not hands-on) experience last Friday. I stepped on the court. It’s splendid. The bleachers? Wow. It’s comparable to the U.S. Open or the Beijing Olympics. It’s of the highest standards. Every single blue-colored seat is worth your ticket.

Cecil Mamiit. Treat Huey. Johnny Arcilla. Elbert Anasta. PJ Tierro. These are our players. And, if you want to get a glimpse of them prior to the Davis Cup from March 4 to 6, they’ll be at the Baseline tennis courts this Thursday, Feb. 24. A holiday (Charter Day), they’ll conduct practice sessions and autograph-signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Be there. You’ll see slice backhands and topspin volleys. Watch the Azkals of Tennis.

Chester’s Birthday

Like Bobby Nalzaro, I attended last Saturday’s 50th “Golden” birthday of one of Cebu’s top businessmen/sportsmen: Chester Cokaliong.

The ballroom of Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa crowded with government heads (Mayor Mike Rama, Rep. Pablo John Garcia, Judge Gabby Ingles, Councilor Ed Labella, among many), relatives, friends, and, of course, Chester’s basketball buddies. I sat with Bobit Avila, Bobby Inoferio, Choy Torralba, Jerry Tundag and Jack Huang. We stayed up until 11 p.m. The entertainers–Hajii Alejandro and Willie Nepomuceno, who mimicked Dolphy and Sammy Davis, Jr.–were terrific. Chester’s birthday cake? Why, of course, a multi-layered basketball ring for Cebu’s 3-point King.

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Categorized as Basketball

My favorite story on success? Failure

As president of the Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC), I delivered a speech yesterday afternoon. In attendance were hundreds: parents, coaches, the 7-footer basketball giant Junemar Fajardo; the Athlete of the Year, Donnie Nietes; and the rest of the awardees of the 29th SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards. Here was my speech….

Good afternoon! Cebu City Councilor Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba. Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman Ed Hayco… Our Sportsman of the Year, representing chess… Mr. Boojie Lim. Our Orlando C. Sanchez awardee: Dr. Danny Villadolid. Our guest of honor who flew in from Manila… he was supposed to bring the Azkals, but they’re about to start training in Baguio.. our presidential awardee: Mr. Dan Palami. To the parents and coaches in attendance… And most of all, to you, our awardees… Maayong hapon and congratulations!

The first time I attended the Sports Awards was 22 years ago. I was then 16 years old and — like you — I received an award for the sport of tennis. The awarding was held at the Magellan Hotel. Since then, the awards had always been held at an exclusive hotel or function room area. Each time, we would only invite the head coach or the team captain.

That is why I am so happy today to see all of you. Because it’s not just one coach or one player but all of you who should be recognized.I want to share with you my all-time favorite quotation:

I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times, I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot… and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life…. And that is why I succeed.

You know who said those words? Michael Jordan. The person considered the greatest basketball player — the greatest athlete of all time — said that failure is the reason for his success.

I mention this quote because — although all of you here are champions and gold medalists — the reason behind your success is also failure.

You have failed many times. You have been defeated. The only athlete I know who remains undefeated is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. — but he’s a failure because he’s afraid to face our very own Manny Pacquiao.

Now, in your own training and in your many competitions, you have failed several times. But, it was how you responded after the failure that brought you here. You rose from the times when you lost — you trained harder, you did not let failure defeat you. You used failure as motivation to rise and to win.

I mention failure because I see the Cebu Eastern College Baby Dragons here. Back in 2009, CEC lost by 131 points in one game. In another, they lost by a margin of 151 points! Now, today, they are here as the Cesafi high school basketball champions of last year and as our major awardees for basketball. Their comeback story — from failure to triumph — is one of the most amazing stories ever in Cebu sports.

Also, I cite Dan Palami. Years back, our Philippine football players were nobodies. Nobody cared about them. But, thanks to Mr. Palami — who supported and took care of the team while they were failing — today the Azkals are the hottest sports idols in our country.

And so, dear awardees, as you come up on stage in a few minutes and receive your plaques and trophies — feel proud. Relish this moment. Very few are recognized like you. And, later this year, when you go back to the basketball court or the boxing ring or the football field and, in case you falter and lose, use those moments to become stronger. Be like Mike. Be like CEC. Do not be afraid of losing.

Once again, thank you so much. To all the awardees, we are all very, very, very proud of you. Congratulations!

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Categorized as Tennis

The 29th SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards

Every year, the best of the best gather. Boxers. Triathletes. Golfers. Motocross champions. Bowlers. Taekwondo black-belters. Scrabble mind experts. Cyclists. Mixed Martial Artists.

Over 180 of Cebu’s top athletes and sportsmen meet. Some, like Donnie Nietes, are world champions. Others, like Irina Gabasa and Igi Maximo and Arthur Craig “Iggy” Pantino, are the best in their juniors categories. A few — like the Cebu Volleyball Association (CEVA) or the Cebu Tenpin Bowling Association (CETBA) — are organizations. One is a company and family name whose athletic involvement spans decades and a multitude of events: Aboitiz. All are champions and supporters of one discipline: Sports.

The event? It’s this Saturday. And you know what’s the best part? You’re invited.

The past two years — in 2009 when Manny Pacquiao was the special guest and last year, when Z Gorres arose from his wheelchair and walked forward to personally accept his trophy — the Cebu Sports Awards had been exclusive. Same in the years past. Grand Convention Center. Laguna Garden Cafe ballroom. And several other “by-invitation-only” venues. All exclusive.

Not two afternoons from today. You’re invited. The Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC), in partnership with San Miguel Brewery, Inc. with the support of Smart, M. Lhuillier, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Air21, Rudy Project, Coca-Cola and Citigym, have decided that this 2011 will be unique.

Join us. The time is 3 to 5 p.m. The venue will be Ayala Center Cebu. On the center stage of the mall’s Activity Center, you will see David Lim receive his special citation for the sport of Autocross. Want to snap a photo of golf’s rising star, Gio Gandionco? Sure you can. How about asking the sisters Lorhiz and Loren Dale Echavez–the triathlete and swimming champions–for a picture at the Photo Wall? Sure. I’m sure they’ll agree. This is your one chance out of the 365 days of this season to witness every one of Cebu’s sports heroes in one venue.

Boojie Lim, the patron of chess for several decades now, will finally be honored. He’s the Sportsman of the Year. Dr. Danny Villadolid, one of the most respected of officials in this island, will also be recognized. He receives the Orlando C. Sanchez Award, given to the individual who has contributed his full efforts and time–without much fanfare–to the development of Cebu sports.

Our special guest? The one who’ll receive the Presidential Award? He was supposed to have brought with him a full team of footballers. You know these guys. They’re the Azkals. Yes, had the Azkals flown to Cebu after their 2-0 win against Mongolia in Bacolod, they’d join us on Saturday. They’d be the special attractions. But, no, Baguio is their training camp.

Dan Palami will be here in person on Saturday. He’s the man credited for the rise of the Azkals. As team manager, he single-handedly funded the then-unknown squad. Now, they’re heroes. Palami is the super hero. He’ll give a speech on the Ayala Center stage.

Who is the Athlete of the Year? That one person who will emerge the brightest among the stars? Last year, it was Rubilen Amit, the lady billiards gold medalist. Though small in height, she stood tallest. Who will it be this year? Find out this Saturday. Her or his identity will only be revealed on the spot. Like the Grammys or the Oscars–nobody knows except the organizers. It will be publicly announced by our master of ceremonies, Rico Navarro.

Join us. Please do. You’ll enjoy the two hours.

Now, if you’re an awardee reading this article, please call our Secretariat for a few instructions (Sandy or Emma at 4161122 local 100 or 112.) And, more importantly, if you’re an honoree, bring your whole family. Invite your friends. Ask your barkada to cheer for you.

This is your day. This is a special moment to forever capture. This is your reward for excellence. See you this Saturday.