Unifying factor

In the words of the late former South African president and revolutionary leader Nelson Mandela, “sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where there was only despair.”

Meanwhile, in an article for the World Economic Forum, Mark Ein, CEO of the VentureHouse Group, recalled how the power of sport as a unique and important connective tissue that binds people together in an often divided world was best exemplified during the opening ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympic Games in South Korea when athletes from North and South Korea marched together.

“The two nations are even entering a combined women’s hockey team, in what New York Times called ‘the most dramatic gesture of reconciliation between them in a decade. We must learn from the unifying power of these and other examples if we want to find ways to use sport to bridge the gaps that divide us,” Ein said.

Unfortunately, recent events in the Philippines have seen sport, in particular our hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, being used as a political tool to divide further an already divided people.

About two weeks before the SEA Games, the political opposition, led by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, commenced a barrage of criticisms against the people behind  the preparations for the competition, particularly the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) chaired by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

It all started with the SEA Games cauldron designed by the late national artist for architecture Francisco Mañosa which observers note Drilon belittled by branding it as mere kaldero.  

When the delegations from the other countries started arriving here, there were these problems posted and sometimes exaggerated on social media about the unfortunate incidents that faced foreign athletes.

Unfortunately, some of these stories failed to paint the complete picture.

For instance, the Cambodian delegation arrived the night before they were supposed to without advising the organizers beforehand. Even if the management wanted  to check them in, it was impossible because the hotel was fully booked. Nevertheless, the hotel managed to give several of them rooms at around 8:25 a.m. the following day. While the rest of the Cambodian delegation were waiting for their rooms, the management ushered them to one of the hotel’s function rooms so that they can be comfortable. They were offered additional chairs but the members said they preferred to lie down on the floor instead so they could rest. They were also served lunch.

On the complaint of the Thai football team over the lack of water given to them, Century Park Hotel said each team member was given two bottles of water daily,  which was in accordance with hotel industry standards.

In an interview on television, Chris Tiu, former team captain of the Philippine team that participated in previous SEA Games held in other countries, said they also encountered problems upon their arrival in the other host countries but these were not magnified unlike here.

It has also been reported that during the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia,  the organizers changed the competition venues at the last minute several times. The Thai women’s volleyball team complained of lack of transportation at the airport. Several athletes complained of lack of food served during breakfast time. 

What was not reported here was the fact that 75 international arrivals consisting of various SEA Games delegations,  technical officials, and  representatives of the  National Olympic Committees  arrived  at the NAIA and the Clark International Airport and billeted in their respective hotels without experiencing any hitches.

While PHISGOC wanted to prepare early for the SEA Games, the body had to rush its work because of the delay in the approval of the 2019 national budget, where the funds for the hosting of the competition was allocated. To recall, the President was able to sign the 2019 budget only in April, setting back government disbursements of funds for this year by at least four months. The feud between the Senate and the House of Representatives in the previous Congress over the alleged illegal insertions in the 2019 budget was the reason for the delay. 

Moreover, the budget for the SEA Games, originally set at P7.5 billion, was cut a third or by P2.5 billion by the Senate. The Office of the President supplemented the budget by P1 billion, bringing the total SEA Games budget to P6 billion, or 20 percent short of the original budget.

As to whether the SEA Games budget was prudently spent, Cayetano has said that he would welcome any investigation or post audit of the SEA Games, confident in his belief that the SEA Games budget would stand any sort of scrutiny.

The 30th SEA Games have just started and there is still time to make this event a factor that will unite us.

Their legacy

Even in the private sector, the Villar family has had a legacy of public service. They provide affordable homes for lower income families through Camella Homes, and they build hospitals around the country through Vitacare Healthgroup. Through their non-profit foundation Villar SIPAG, they provide access to sustainable employment to the underprivileged. With keen business acumen, a non-profit organization geared to alleviate poverty, and an eye for identifying strategic opportunities for Filipinos, the Villars have cemented their name in nation-building.

Their PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., is poised to be the leading bulk water supplier which the number of water districts that they are now managing through joint ventures with local water districts increasing to over 100 in just three years.

Eager to extend its expertise and capital to ailing water districts around the country, PrimeWater currently has at least 48 joint ventures undergoing negotiations. Unfortunately, there have been reports of incidents which the group has been trying to address.

For instance, news surfaced about alleged irregularities in the joint venture selection process for the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA). A coalition of concerned consumers called Amlig Tubig cried said that the Swiss Challenge for BACIWA’s joint venture partner was conducted away from the vigilance of the public. The group criticized BACIWA’s non-transparency and its apparent inclination to choose PrimeWater as its joint venture partner.

However, Amlig Tubig has long been a critic of PrimeWater’s, citing the inconsistencies within its proposal, even noting that PrimeWater’s proposal is even less profitable than BACIWA’s current operations, and yet BACIWA seems very willing to forego tens of millions of pesos in favor of Prime Water.

These water districts are regulated by the Local Water Utilities Administration, an agency under the Department of Public Works and Highways and headed by Mark Villar who a few years back acknowledged the conflict of interest in accepting his post at DPWH in relation to his family business, but promised that these fears are unfounded.

With the decades that the Villars have spent serving the Filipino people, let us hope that all these accusations are unfounded. After all, patriarch Manny is one of the nation’s most glowing success stories. Sen. Cynthia, his wife, is nicknamed Mrs. Hanapbuhay for her work in providing jobs. Their names have become synonymous with malasakit. It would be unfortunate if their legacies are destroyed due to baseless claims.

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