Playing with Fire
‘Mama’s boy’
By Gonzalo Duque
WHY does sport tick in our lives?
The sages said it. Because it instructs us to live life fully. It teaches us to become leaders.
This is the over-riding creed behind our great interest in sport, like the just concluded basketball championship games in the recent Philippine Collegiate championship League North-Central Regional Championship at the Dr. Salvador T. Duque Field House last November 3-5.
How did our LNU Dukes fare? Pangatlo lang! But how! Hindi biro ang champs game, what are you? Kaya heads up pa rin kami, ha, coach Angel Gumarang?
The results were: Lyceum Subic Bay (Black Sharks), champion, La Finns (Lion Hearts) Scholastica of San Fernando La Union, 1st runner-p; LNU Dukes, 2nd runner-up; University of Baguio (Cardinals), 3rd runner-up, and University of Northern Philippine Vigan City, 4th runner-up.
Btw, don’t forget that in the jousts last year, our Dukes was 2nd to Lyceum-Subic.
Salute Angel and our pogi son Nanoy, executive consultant for this feat.
Ramil Cruz, a veteran technical representative from the PCCL main office and Joe Lipa, PCCL commissioner, cited our hosting as “so for the best.”
Salute Gov. Spines, Administrator Raffy Baraan and Mayor Belen for playing that role superbly.
We thank, too, our co-sponsors, Rep. Pol Bataoil, Globe Philippines, Ashok Vasandani, Jasper Ong of Toyota-Pangasinan, Joseph Lo of Guanzon, Barangay chairman Brian Kua of Sony Philippines and K-17, former Rep. Mark Cojuangco, and Abono chair Sendong So.
The brief memory of it all was inspiring, to say the least.
LNU was 3rd, but the experience, wow! When we played with Subic, four of our starters including Roxan Melendrez, Lloyd Quisay, Menard Bona and Aljick Aquino were injured, otherwise the result was different.
No, we didn’t lose even if we were 3rd place. We won in experience.
The words of Danny Lim, International College of Excellence of Urdaneta City president, rang in our ears, that it was great to compete with the best, with the champions. This should be the essence, the soul of joining the PCCL games.
In our vocabulary, losing in a fair game means “victory postponed,” en route to later land in the “Sweet 16.”
We feel Coach Angel Gumarang deserves 2 rounds of San Mig Lite for giving us at LNU three feats—three consecutive championships that have earned for us a place in the Hall of Fame.
* * * *
Victory could have contrasting faces, one happy and another sad.
At the victory party of our LNU Dukes held at Baywalk in Lingayen, we were honored by the presence of Provincial Administrator Raffy Baraan. He represented Gov. Spines who had to leave hastily for Manila to take his mother to St. Luke’s Hospital.
Medyo nalungkot tayo sa balita na hindi makakarating si Gob.
Masayang masaya naman ang nangyari sa Baywalk.
You know, pag nagsama ang inyong columnist at si Raffy Baraan who was my schoolmate in the seminary, nagkakaroon agad ng fraternal spirit. Ganun din pag kasama natin ang kayang kapatid na si Justice Usec. Toti Baraan.
May medyo seryoso lang ang napag-usapan namin. Gusto nating balikan yung isang napakagandang ugali na nakita natin kay Guv’nor Spines in relation to family.
Bihira sa mga katulad niya na bising bisi and with stern and austere military training na hindi maikukubli ang labis na pagmamahal sa kanyang pinakamamahal na ina, ganito din, we were told, sa kanyang pagmamahal sa kanyang magandang asawa na si Mely.
We know for a fact that in one or two instances. Hinding hindi pinapayagan ni Guv’nor na isantabi ang feeling ng kanyang beloved mother; laging una, top priority.
Saludo tayo dyan, mga igan.
Kung tutuusin, alam din ng pitak na ito ang labis na pagmamahal ng mother niya sa kanya. Tulad nung siya ay nasa Amerika at kasalukiyang binabatikos ng kanyang political critics, ang most loving mother niya ay lubhang nasaktan at itinakbo sa hospital.
Ang butihing gobernor tuloy ay gulong-gulo ang isip at abbreviated tuloy ang kanyang U.S. visit. Umuwi agad ng Pilipinas. Nakakainggit ang ganyang pagmamahalan ng isang anak at magulang lalo na sa ina.
Ilan kaya sa atin ang may ganyang ugali?
If you ask us and those who know our family hindi na kami nagkakalayo ni Pareng Spines.
So, to our beloved kumpare, prayers for your mother’s fast recovery.
* * * *
It is a truism that most great leaders and statesmen all over the world had very loving and beloved mothers.
Dito na lang sa ating bansa, who can beat the loving relationship between our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, and his mother Teodora Alonzo Quintos Rizal who historians say, was his first ever teacher. Tinuruan niya ng alphabet at ang pagiging curious about the things happening around him.
Look at what that loving relationship produced? Our world famous national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal!
Sa palagay natin ang leadership qualities n gating gubernador ay nag-umpisa sa pag-aaruga ng kanyang ina.
Tipakan tayo siren ya ampetapetang ya tipak yay inararo tayon gubernador!
Ok, Spines, baleg lay utang mo!
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