In 2009, philanthropist Datu Tatsuo Uchida San and his grandson coach Yusuke San of the Datu Uchida Development Foundation with the help of ma’am Ines Mallari of the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School came in contact with University of Mindanao sports director Joaquin “Boy” Sarabia, the regional director of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association.
So it turned out that Datu Uchida San, a Davao-born Japanese businessman, and his group of friends from the Tokyo Kichijoji Lions Club wanted to give something back to Davao.
And the best way, among other things, is through a sport that they love. Baseball.
Here’s the beauty of it. They wanted the public schools to benefit from it.
I played little league baseball because of my classmates and friends and we are all in a public school. Either we use worn out balls, dented bats and sometimes, our catcher does not have a baseball mask. Ana lang, duwa duwa.
When my late father Boy learned about it, he aggressively discouraged me to stop playing because of the “dangers” of the sport. Walay helmet, ma igo imong ulo sa pitcher, walay shin guards, ma igo imong legs, matamakan ka sa spike shoes. For an 11-year-old kid, sakit gyud tinood pero lingaw playing with your classmates and friends.
Because my late Papang Marcial, a public school teacher, taught us to always honor our father and mother, so follow na lang ko. I shifted to my father Boy’s favorite sport, tennis, na sosyal na ako sport. Goodbye baseball.
Anyway, that has been my experience, along with other little boys playing baseball in a public school. We never had brand-new that smells so good Spalding gloves! Oh yeah, humot kaayo basta brand-new gloves, right editor Neil Bravo (who played catcher for Ateneo de Davao)?
Datu Uchida, his family and friends were heaven sent to little league baseball development in Davao. And so the Davao City Baseball Association was born that year and up to this very day, our Japanese friends have continued to show their love to Davaoenos through baseball.
When I learned that ma’am Ines received the Datu Bago Award this month, I felt so happy and very proud.
It’s a well-deserved award for a Davaoena of Japanese ancestry who have continued to work in maintaining strong ties between Davao and Japan.
Ma’am Ines was the link between the Uchidas, Tokyo Kichijoji Lions Club and Davao City baseball.
Ma’am Ines did the leg work, making connections with little league baseball stakeholders and reached out to Davao sportswriters to make sure that the partnership becomes successful.
You see ladies and gentlemen, in the conduct of establishing strong relations between two countries, sports is one effective method and yet you need someone to broker that partnership.
Ma’am Ines, our Madam Ambassador in baseball development, did an outstanding work for the City of Davao and for Japan.
We are very proud of you ma’am Ines. Congratulations!
“Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu”.
We are forever grateful.
