For four straight weeks, my email constantly lights up with releases from the Corporate Communications office of the Philippine Airlines. There were messages too from PAL buddies both from the airline’s Corp Comm office and media buddies who regularly cover the Interclub.
For some reason, everyone gets excited during the Interclub. From the visiting golfers to the touring pack of sports media, there is something in the Interclub that gets everyone excitedly looking forward to each passing season.
Most excited should be the host city, and the reason is quite obvious.
Every Interclub host city is ensured of economic revenues from hotel accommodation, food, transport, golf and souvenir items.
The recent two golfing weeks of the PAL Interclub in Davao City netted a whopping P60 million in revenues. The 65th edition of the annual golfing tournament raked in some P5.5 million a day in the 11 days it was held here.
My recent trip to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur kept me away from most part of the Interclub including the media golf tournament. I caught up with the guys in the final two days of the tournament. Some of our golfing friends from Manila were already back to their respective stations but I was able to catch up with my kumpadre Nimrod Quinonez of Freeman Cebu who must be the busiest man as Cebu’s own squad pulled the rug from under the favourites to win this year’s edition of the Regular Men’s tournament.
Mike Limpag of Sunstar was also around and so were the friendly personnel from PAL like Iya, Charlie, and Lito. Oh, I missed Jonathan Gesmundo who understandably is busy as a bee. Thanks much to you guys, and of course to PAL VP for Corp Comm Joey De Guzman and spokesperson Cielo Villaluna.
Boy, I miss the media tournament. It would have been great playing with the guys again especially after last year’s very memorable tournament in Cagayan de Oro. I would have played gracious host to a fellow media golfer who made last year’s event one of my most unforgettable edition ever.
Still, I knew everyone had a grand time in Davao—from golf, to food, to parties, to shopping and some fun. As we say now in our tourism pitch, “life is here.” Indeed, P60 million worth of economic revenues surely spells life well spent here over just 11 days.
A windfall for sure.
It comes simply from sports tourism, something Davao can cash in.
It’s about time.
