By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

I didn’t plan on doing this Part 2 of my article last week about Pangasinan cyclists’ declining performance in the last five years but there have been nagging queries from numerous cycling fans and overseas, who I believe were from our co-Pangasinenses, asking for reasons why this was so. I guess they expected me to know the answers being a former national three-time champion of the two-wheel sport. They asked me “why”. And, I told them in all candor that I believe that the principal reason behind our province mates lackluster performance was due to the lackadaisical interest of our provincial government in promoting the sport.

We used to hold multi-stage events in Pangasinan, particularly during the administrations of the late Governor Aguedo F. Agbayani, Oscar M. Orbos, and the annual one-day big races of father-and-son erstwhile governors Amado Espino, Jr. and Amado I. Espino, III. The former First District Cong. Hernani Braganza also organized and sponsored a three-day bikefest dubbed as “Tour de Hundred Islands” two decades ago that started and finished in his beloved hometown Alaminos City. I doff my hat to these five former leaders of our province, for their selfless support for Pangasinan cycling, hosting the races that impressed upon our young riders that their provincial government wanted them to win in national and regional races. I directed all their races, being a GAB licensed cycling organizer and race director, wholeheartedly because I considered the five as pillars of Pangasinan cycling then. They knew that organizing the races for the young cyclists was the only way they can gain the experience and skills to win. They were right because their efforts paid off. These resulted in our beloved province registering a national record of 21 national Tour crowns, harvesting numerous gold medals in national cycling championships and most importantly, in the biennial Southeast Asia Games and the annual Asian Cycling Championships.

I pointed out that our provincial contingents used to dominate the races wherever these were held but today, our boys are being beaten by cyclists of  our neighboring provinces like Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya and by Metro Manila riders as well. Why?  Their local government leaders copied our strategy and template and began holding cycling races in their respective towns during their annual town fiesta celebrations, and now they have their own versions of annual multi-stage races in their respective provinces. We used to do that a lot here in the province especially my beloved town Mangaldan during our town fiestas originated by our late mayor Atty. Macario Ydia in March 7, 1974. Unfortunately, today, our current town chief executive Bonafe de Vera Parayno stopped the annual race to the dismay of the Mangaldan avid cyclists and fans. Maybe our mayor is not a cycling lover or simply does not share the prestige and honor that Mangaldan earned as the only town in the entire archipelago that produced four national tour crowns since the birth of Philippine national multi-stage cycling event in 1955. Cebu City is second with three.

The bashers among those who called my attention accepted my explanations. My gratitude to them.

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My heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family of my cycling contemporary Rolando Cagunot of Barangay Cabeldatan, Basista, Pangasinan who died last week due to stroke and was buried last February 24, 2024 in his hometown. Cagunot was a veteran of multi-stage races like the Tour of Luzon, Tour of PICCA and Marlboro Tour during his heydays. R.I.P. Lando.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give certificate of divorce, and to pull her away?” He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. MATTHEW 19: 7-8

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