One afternoon, accompanied by Philippine Sports Commission(PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez’s long, long time and reliable aide, JB, we visited the Timburana Wood Capitol in Matina, which from 1998 to 2016 has served as regional office of the Basketball Association of the Philippines-XI, later on renamed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas-XI.
I checked on the table of the SBP-XI director. It was clean and no yellow pad and paper at the desk. Look at the huge calendar on the left side, there were no more scribbled notes and X’s on the dates. I smelled the air of the room, no trace of scent of Hav-A-Tampa cigars or lights.
A quick visit to his nearby home, the chair at the head of the table, has remained unoccupied. Oh, the half-full Johnnie Walker Swing whisky bottle was still there but where is the gracious host?
I could not help but feel a deep sadness. Davao Region’s godfather of amateur basketball development, Regino “Boy” Cua, is no longer there.
My relationship with the late Boy Cua started when we both decided to stop the abuse and corruption of basketball referees in Davao. The unending complaints of BAP-XI badges, paid but not delivered, the referees’ rule books, paid for by the referees and again not delivered. Then complaints of local school-based tournaments requiring spectators to pay an entrance fee. Boy decided it has to stop. And it stopped indeed.
What happened next was a 360-degree turn of what amateur basketball development should be. Boy initiated a basketball clinic for the youth and giving them balls for free, school-based and church-based leagues have started to receive funding assistance out of his pocket, Manila-based coaches fly to Davao to meet and discuss with him basketball developments, organize leagues and consulted him on player development and the Davao City Mayor’s Office has closely coordinated with him in the conduct of the Duterte Basketball League(DBL), helping in making it sure that basketball rules are followed.
During his watch, Ateneo de Davao High School, for the first time in history, represented the country to three international tournaments (Thailand, Singapore and Australia), with funding coming from the parents and assistance from the PSC.
The SBP-XI has lost a respectable leader but you see, death is like a thief in the night. Yet, we know that he was ready for it. “Die today, die tomorrow, same die lang na Mo. Okay na pamilya ko Mo, tsaka basketball,” he usually tells me.
When his eldest son Rainier of JonRain Realty Development made a financial review, he was in awe by how much money his late father has set aside for basketball development. It’s not the money Rainier, it’s the love.
That reminds me that there is one collectible that has not been paid yet. Hmmmm, if he happens to read this(the guy from the North), Rainier or Milton, the former team captain of the BEST national champion Ateneo de Davao, are just at the Timburano Wood office, willing to accept the check.
Ahhh, such love for basketball development. Crazy love. I’m pretty sure, Boy has started sponsoring leagues up in Heaven. You simply can’t stop that guy from doing what he loves the most, basketball.
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Royal Mandaya Hotel President Glen Escandor has taken over the noble cause of serving the SBP-XI after Boy’s death and we wish him all the best in serving the basketball community.
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Happy birthdays to University of Mindanao baseball coach Ryan Sarabia, former chess regional director Alex Sempio Baruis and dear Edeley Tarrazona.
