Last week, two images about Marawi City came out on social media.
One (which was partly shown on TV) showed at least two armored personnel carriers coming to the aid of a wounded army combatant in the midst of the Marawi fighting.
Leading the rescuers was a familiar face, B/Gen. Alexander Macario who was inside one of the vehicles that plucked the wounded soldier to safety. The young general you see was the son of my former high school teacher in high school, Ornis Macario, in my hometown, La Trinidad (Benguet).
The older Macario soon left teaching, joined the army and fought in Mindanao when Marcos declared Martial Law. He has retired as a colonel and travels every now and then to the United States to visit some of his children.
The other image was that of William “Butch” Ramirez, chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission’ announcing to all and sundry the withdrawal of the PSC from the hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
The PSC head revealed that the country was withdrawing from hosting the games due to the Marawi crisis.
Part of his statement reads:
“Due to the current situation in Mindanao and the problem of terrorism and atrocities, we regret to inform you that we will no longer push through with the hosting of the biennial meet.”
“It has been resolved that government resources be focused in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of Mindanao especially of Marawi City.”
“Further, when all is clear and peace and order had improved after the 2020 Olympics and in the future, we are positive and willing to host the SEA Games or any other international sporting events.”
The PSC had earlier decided to host the games after Brunei pulled out in June due to lack of infrastructure.
But evidently after looking at the bigger picture, the PSC decided it cannot go on bankrolling the games when Marawi lies in crumbles and is crying for deliverance. It reminds me partly of 2009 when the province of Benguet scuttled its foundation anniversary festivities in deference to the hundreds of people who perished due to massive landslides triggered by Typhoon Pepeng.
It is a golden act by the PSC in favor of the greater good. Why am I not surprised by the PSC decision? Truth to tell, the PSC under Ramirez has been one of the golden spots of the Duterte administration with its determination to implement grassroots sports and to weed out corruption in Philippine sports.
Ramirez’ order for sports associations to give an accounting of all financial assistance provided them by the PSC must have come as a shocker as it was unexpected.
Consequently, his determination to implement grassroots sports has seen the PSC evolve as one of the busiest agencies. After a national conference in Tagaytay where it reviewed its mandate and spelled out its vision for Philippine sports, the PSC went the rounds in the provinces going as far as Ifugao and Benguet in drumbeating grass roots.
Ramirez himself met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice-chair Ghazali Jaafar with whom he shared the vision of the PSC ‘for an inclusive sports that will include our brother Moros in the Sports for Peace program.’
Jaafar welcomed him like a long lost brother and the result was that PSC came up with a plan to designate a sports coordinator inside the MILF camp for MILF youth and adults.
This again is a novelty that has not been attempted before.
Ramirez’ off-repeated exhortation to develop grassroots roots as the one that matters most is the battle-cry that is bound to overturn Philippine sports years from now.
We may not see its immediate results but with PSC’s infrastructure in place in the different region, there is reason to believe that the foundations for the ‘golden age of Philippine sports’ has been firmly planted on the ground.
And just like any good tree, the fruits are bound to be plentiful and palatable in their own sweet time.
