Playing with Fire

By February 5, 2006Archives

 

A million thanks to you all!
By Gonzalo Duque

 

 

 

 

TODAY, Sunday, circa February 5, our city and some towns of the province will play host to the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) national games nationwide athletic competitions.

Sorry, and thank you, Ermin, I have used more than enough space of the Punch to drumbeat the event. But, you know as well as do the rest, that the games are intended for the development of the young because they are the sinews of the nation.

I wish to thank you and the other big-hearted people who share our care and love for the Filipino youth. We fully agree with our National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal who saw the youth as the hope of the fatherland.  There are, of course, a few who have yet to be reminded about the value and importance of the national games and youth development.

You will of course agree with me that hosting this  marathon  is no small matter, and yours truly is on the front line,  firing line, center court, and   if anything untoward  happens (God forbid!), I am accountable.  If successful and I have no doubt it will be successful with God’s help and   your show of full cooperation and support, the credit goes to all.

This early, I must thank the following handsome people who have helped make the event possible. 

I must say “Thank you”  to Speaker Joe de V,  Mayor Benjie Lim, Usec Bebot Villar, Com. Al Fernandez,  Governor Victor Agbayani, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan headed by Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino, Congressmen Conrad Estrella III,  Mark Cojuangco, Gener Tulagan, Arthur  Celeste  and  Spines Espino, Mayors  Jolly Resuello, Jonas Castañeda and  Sammy Rosario,  my brother  RDC chairman Salvador Duque and  his  association of  schools, colleges and universities (APSCU),  the Commission on Higher Education through Director Evelyn Pascua, the DepEd through Director Vilma Labrador and the schools superintendents (Aurora Domingo)  and principals in Pangasinan;

My brothers UPANG president Cesar Duque and Health Sec. Pingkoy Duque, University of Luzon president Macky Samson and brother Councilor Chito Samson  whose picture and welcome greetings are all over the place; Colegio de Dagupan president Voltaire Arzadon,  Philippine National Police Chief Art Lomibao, Regional Director Alfredo de Vera, Pangasinan PNP Director Alan Purisima,  Dagupan police chief Ed Basbas, LTO director Pat Urmaza, the PNRC- Pangasinan, the regional   medical center thru Director Jess Canto, provincial administrator  Boy Solis, city administrator Raffy Baraan, Miss Dea Que  and many, many others whose names I can’t mention for interminable reasons.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

This hosting job has its pains, too. No, not the physical fatigue, not the stress and tension that go with overseeing a big project. I will be hypocrite if I will not confess that some dismay and hurt were inevitable. For instance, there were friends who have forced me to describe them as fair-weather friends for being the first to hide when my need for them was most felt.

But I am a Christian, and I believe our Lord and Saviour Jesus’ reminder that “we should love one another” be they friends, alleged friends or enemies. I like to think that I have no enemies. Friends?  Well, I now have a new but confidential definition of a “friend,” but I can’t write about it because, well, you said it, it’s confidential.

But in sum, it has been a very rewarding action-packed activity and love affair. Love affair?  Yes, because we are doing this for the love of the young and sports.

 

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By the way, we thank the Malayan Insurance Corporation, too, for providing free P50,000  insurance coverage to all the participating athletes in  all the regions…. ditto with Chinese General Hospital president James Dy  and  entertainment mogul Gary Valenciano and  songbird Mocha Uson.

And let me thank all the others who prefer  to help incognito, remain  in the realm of anonymity but sincerely  prayed for the PRISSA’s  success,   worked  assiduously and  uncomplainingly in silence, my staff, my task force, my  core group — all who understand no matter what because they know very intimately that we are working for a great cause.

Salamat na balbaleg!            
 

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