SMI’s masterpiece

Master Blaster, Mindanao Daily Mirror May 22, 2011

Growing up as a kid from the once sleeping town of Mati, I took my pencil and paper on several afternoons at the old wharf waiting to catch a glorious sunset. There were no DSLR cameras yet to capture the natural beauty of a setting sun. I had no formal art training either. No money to buy a canvas and paint. I only had my eyes and my hands for my simple work that would later become a masterpiece for my two adoring fans—my parents.

My works would end up pasted on our wall until the next artwork would dislodge the old one.

I had great times as a self-made artist. Later I would have some informal training with a town moviehouse artist and I would have my share of the movie billboards in exchange for a free movie pass on weekends.

Growing up, we are inspired by the beauty around us and would only hope our creativity would match the wonders of creation.

Last month, 24 kids from Malungon in Sarangani, Tampakan in South Cotabato and Columbio in Sultan Kudarat, and Malalag and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur got the dreams of their young lives as artists.

Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), the Philippine Government’s contractor of the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project, held an art workshop for selected high school students last month at the Sarangani Highlands Resort.

Jamel Obniana from the University of the Philippine Diliman College of Fine Arts was commissioned by SMI to be the workshop facilitator to help the young artists build their confidence and polish their painting skills.

The 24 students aged 14-18 participated in the workshop which was themed “Highlighting the identity of Southern Mindanao together with SMI.” These artists emerged from a qualifying competition held earlier to pick the crème of the crop.

John Arnaldo, SMI Communications Manager said the Department of Tourism chaperoned participants to the workshop venue where they were taught how to paint and express their ideas through art.

It couldn’t get any better than this. The kids were given by SMI all the materials needed for the workshop. Makes me regret why I was born too soon.

Things like this one really inspire us. We don’t get a chance like this everyday and when we do, trhe opportunity is just too good to pass up.

Twelve finalists will be picked from the output of the workshop which will be displayed in an art exhibit on May 27 and the best three works will be declared winners and will be sent to compete in the first ever Southern Mindanao Regional Arts Competition which SMI is again sponsoring.

Sweet.

You get to have your work in the gallery. Get a chance to be the best work out of this program. Compete in a bigger stage. And who knows what’s next? These are what every artist dreams of.

These are among the many outreach programs SMI is implementing as part of its social commitment in the development areas. I once chatted with Andy Orobia of SMI Communications and he shared a number of CSR programs SMI is doing, something we do not normally hear in mining exploration projects.

As a child growing up, I love the sunset bidding goodbye to a lovely day. But I am always just as thrilled to wait for the sunrise in the morning as I wake up to join my father to the old tennis club for an early morning game.

To this day, I still look forward to painting a wonderful sunrise. I may just have to capture it someday. But for these young kids touched by SMI, all of the next day’s sunrise is brighter.

Brokenshire has new program for coaches

Master Blaster May 21, 2011

Things are looking up for coaches, sports administrators and former athletes looking for a permanent career. Brokenshire College is coming up with Bachelor of Physical Education major in Sports and Wellness Program.

I had the chance to talk to its proponent Dr. Arlene de Vera, who heads the BPE, and she is quite excited of the program. The course is now being offered at Brokenshire College.

The BPE course is ideal for school-based coaches and sports administrators because it is designed to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the many disciplines of sports management.

Three major reasons why we need to professional preparation in sports management:

First, to meet a real, recognizable need for professionally trained administrators in the broad area of sports.

Second, this is a natural outgrowth of the study of sports, combined with the view that Physical Education is a broad-based academic discipline.

And third, fewer students seeking to become Physical Education teachers, an overabundance of would-be Physical Education teachers already seeking jobs, the reduction in requirements for daily Physical Education in many school systems.

Doc Arlene hopes some of the LGUs and schools extend some sort of scholarship grants to their coaches for them to avail of this degree. This is a step towards professionalizing the ranks of sports managers and coaches.

The beauty of it all is that it does not cost a million pesos to earn the BPE degree. Tuition is very much affordable and the investment is worth every peso you pay.

The BPE program of Brokenshire comes in very timely as I ran across an article in another paper about a congressman from another Mindanao city asking for a 1-Million peso consultant’s fee for Davao City to host the Palarong Pambansa.

That’s plain BS.

I don’t think that would work. Davao has a lot of bright people to do that without the need of a consultant from elsewhere. In fact, there are supposedly some of them at the City Hall right now in the comfort of their air-conditioned rooms and swivel chairs.

So when I read about the offer of former Congressman Romeo Jalosjos offering his services for a fee of 1 million pesos, I naturally grimaced from my seat.

Why the heck do we need help for? Don’t we have the people to do that? Thanks, but no thanks.

But wait.

On second thoughts, I think the Congressman Jalosjos offer is not at all a big joke. It’s not ridiculous afterall.

It should be food for thought for the bright guys at the City Hall’s sports office. I remember some people harping at all the possible things that would happen to Davao sports once they are in the position. Sports complex, grassroots sports, sports tourism. Name it, they brag it.

Question is: where are those?

In the drawing board or in your dreams?

In fairness, I know a few good people who silently do about their work at the City Hall. They don’t play basketball against fellow executives, and they attend meetings and consultations. I do not know with some newbies out there who still need Sports Management 101.

Where are the programs?

I think some guys need the help of Congressman Jalosjos afterall. But not at the expense of the city.

Notes: A lot of great things are happening at Bluejaz Resort and Waterpark. On Saturday, there will be a kayak competition, DABTOA Officers Induction and a party at night...Resort owner Jazmin Middleton hosted a welcome party last Saturday. Expect another blast of a night this weekend...Resort Manager Ian Pescadero is having his hands full preparing the venue for the 2011 Kicksand Beach Football-Mindanao leg at Bluejaz on June 11-12. Registration is now ongoing for the men’s and women’s divisions (Open), please contact Mr. Alex Adolfo at 09092876880.

Sugar-free

MASTER BLASTER May 11, 2011

Three months ago at about the same time Bob Arum announced that the next Manny Pacquiao challenger is Shayne Mosley, I had my sugar level checked.

Critical level. My doctor pressed the warning button. He told me not take sugar lightly. It’s a killer enemy. I nodded.

I took the warning all too seriously. I went on a sugar-free diet and practically avoided all the sweet things life could offer in the next three months.

Two days before Manny Pacquiao was to face Sugar Shayne Mosley, I had my sugar level checked again. Now, it was down three notches. That was a marked improvement. Three months of staying away as much as I can from anything sweet somehow paid off.

It ain’t easy getting rid of sugar especially when you’re used to it. But it was a decision I stood by in the same manner as I got rid of smoking. Sugar indeed is not an easy enemy. You know why? Because sugar or anything sweet is man’s best friend. You don’t want to hurt a friend. Much less get rid of a friend.

That is what exactly happened in the ring last Sunday in Las Vegas.

Manny went up against a man nicknamed Sugar. In boxing, not everyone gets to be nicknamed Sugar unless he is really good. Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Leonard. And now Sugar Shayne Mosley. Even the expert of the sweet science of boxing goes by the name Bert Sugar and I assume that is either coincidence or that is his nom de guere.

My scientific mind tells me that in life and in boxing, sugar is not an easy enemy because it is sweet. Ever heard of the saying “the best things in life are free”? That has been challenged by the saying “the best things in life are sweet.”

Nothing in this is life is free. Mommy D would no longer settle for a paper bag these days. She already has a collection of Lowis Biton bags and now she is salivating on a Hermes. To her, that’s sweet. Life changes for everyone. Can’t blame her.

All of these my scientific mind tells me last Sunday that Sugar Shayne would not be an easy commodity for the Pacman. Indeed, he was not.

I had already an inkling something is not going to give on fight night. During the build up to the fight until the pre-fight press conference ad weigh-in, there were no sparks from both camps. There was just too much sweetness. Sugar Shayne had to turn Manny to his side for more photo ops. They looked more like sweethearts than combatants.

When they finally met in the ring, I expected some fireworks from both fighters. I thought they will unleash their angst finally when they face each other in the ring. I thought Shayne’s sweetness will translate into more energy. I was wrong.

Sorry, but this is not the best of Pacquiao fights I have seen. Collectively, Manny and Mosley were too sweet for comfort. Too much caution for a combat. Shayne was obviously scared from the very start. Manny was too shy to hurt Shayne. I thought the knockdown in the third would prod Manny to go for the kill after that. But he slowed down his attack. He was too cautious I thought too much of scientific boxing has made him lose his sting lately. He wasn’t as mobile as he could get. Not as feisty and ferocious until he was counted on a freak knockdown in the 10^th.

My scientific mind is telling me, Manny could have fought more ferociously had he been sugar-free. By sugar-free I mean Manny should not have been too sweet to Sugar Shayne who I thought can be knocked down despite his immaculate record. He showed his angst after the freak knockdown—which tells me that he was overly cautious and is capable of letting it all loose. Shayne could go down had Manny got enough rounds left.

For ten rounds, Manny chose to fight as a segurista.

He did not force the issue of getting Mosley decked for the first time in his career even when his scientific mind tells him he can.

Nothing bad with that. In his scientific mind, Manny would also tell us boxing is not about killing your enemy.

Like a chocolate sculpture you would not want deformed, boxing can be sweetly deceiving. Just like your sugar level. After all, my scientific mind tells me the sweet things in life are risky.

Notes: Thanks to NCCC Mall, NCCC Department Store and Head and Shoulders for the live viewing of the Pacquiao-Mosley fight...Watch out for Kicksand Beach Football Series Davao Leg on June 11-12 at the Bluejaz Resort and Waterpark organized by the Beach Football Association of the Philippines and F1 Event Solutions, Inc.

Kicksand

MASTER BLASTER May 10, 2011

After a rousing first stop in Subic last month, the season’s most exciting summer sport goes to the finest resorts in Boracay and Davao.

I am talking about the 2011 Kicksand Beach Football Series, a baby of the Beach Football Association of the Philippines (BFAP) whose President Mike Athab I consider a brother.

Mike rang up this week to say he’s personally going to Boracay to set up the venue and other logistical requirements of the event which comes as the final summer spectacle in the country’s summer beach capital. Kicksand will be staged after the Hala Bola PBA All-Star Week which also goes to the island this month.

The Boracay leg will be hosted by Bamboo Resort Hotel whose owner Jonar Villanueva, now the President of Kiwanis Club of Boracay, has personally attended to the preparations of the event through his manager Jimmy Escotin.

For the Boracay leg, Visayas squads will be crowding for the men’s and women’s titles but some teams who took part in Subic are among those knocking on the door to conquer Boracay. According to Mike, some of the squads in Subic are asking for the details of the Boracay and Davao events and will most likely join the next two legs of the tournament.

The teams in the Subic joust were interestingly composed of some of the finest football players of the land. I am pretty sure that Visayas, with its rich football tradition, will also come up with their best squads in the Boracay leg. And when the tournament swings to Davao, expect fireworks at the beach of Bluejaz as the local teams will surely defend their turf where pride is at stake.

For the Davao leg, James Infiesto is coordinating with BFAP and marketing group F1 Event Solutions in the preparations. Mike is also set to visit Davao and take an ocular of the venue.

The Kicksand event is sure to boost sports tourism in Davao in the manner that sports tourism has been the formula that makes Boracay the most interesting place in the country to hold events. The event has enormous media values in virtually all media platforms as has been proven in the Subic event.

F1 Event Solutions made sure the Kicksand event will be staged in Davao for the first time. Years back though, beach football was introduced here during the time of my late mentor and Godfather Vic Sai. Mike remembered the two stagings of the event in the black sands of Times Beach and Bonguyan.

F1 was also responsible for hooking up with the Bamboo Resort Hotel Boracay for the second leg. All these, however, were made possible with the masterstroke of PSC Commissioner Chito Loyzaga who has backed up BFAP in its programs this year. PSC chairman Richie Garcia gave his worthy support to the BFAP program also through his senior executive assistant, Dabawenyo lawyer Guillermo Iroy, Jr.

We can only get excited from here on and by the time the sands blast in Bora and Davao.

Notes: This is actually a watered down version of the piece I wrote earlier, but there are some things I’d like to say...Honey Wong of Anflocor sent us an email of the outstanding performers from their sports program in Panabo City. I say these kids are very promising and their on their way to the Palarong Pambansa to carve out a name for themselves after their very own kababayan and stablemate Rey and Vic Saludar of boxing...Thank you to Atty. Pinky Cabreros, Neb Bulaclac and my good friend Ben Sur of Phoenix for the opportunity to present some programs... Birthdays: Cheers to birthday girl, Sally May Tauro of F1 Event Solutions Inc...Also to Dr. Gizelle Geraldine Lim of Bulacan...And finally, my personal greetings to former Davao Oriental Governor Marlene Palma Gil who also celebrated her birthday last week and was thrown a surprise party by her children Bambi and Dennis, Jepot and Totot, Pia and RJ and Miguel and Aimee.