Postscripts: 2009 Provincial Meet

The past week has come and gone and so has the 2009 edition of the Provincial Sports and Cultural Festival. It has been a sporting six days for the towns of Liloan, Compostela and Consolacion which co-hosted the events for the second year.

The games opened in Liloan last Sunday, November 22, with an afternoon parade of the 44 participating municipalities in the province of Cebu. By late afternoon, just as the parade was to end, Urduja brought down the rains and made the track oval messy and sticky. This did not deter the lighting of the games’ flame by Gov. Gwen Garcia.

Neither rain nor wind nor gloom of night stopped the opening festivities. Fireworks lit up the rainy evening. Guests and other VIP’s were treated to a welcome dinner complete with a cultural presentation and a live band at the gym. At the track oval, an elementary and secondary level drum and bugle competition entertained a large crowd. A percussion band then performed until 11pm.

It rained for two more days but the games have to go on. There could have been records made in the track events had the weather been cooperative. In the evenings, cultural competitions are held like folk dancing and singing and a cheer-dance contest. Thursday evening was the selection and coronation of the games’ Festival Queen and Liloan’s bet bested twelve other pretty contestants. It was fun and festive, day or night, rain or shine.

When all the smoke cleared, Liloan emerged victorious in their quest. It retained the secondary championship and this time got the elementary championship as well. Compostela and Consolacion came in next. There is no place like home court!

Liloan did not do well in the track events but almost ruled the team sports. The bulk of the points came from Ma’m Sally Reroma’s gymnasts which out-split, out-synchronized and out-balanced the opposition. As always, Ma’m Sally rules in her field.

Again, your friendly neighborhood writer is involved in the LGU’s preparation for the games. Considering the limited resources and the ridiculous government processes in releasing funds, there was no choice but to seek aid from outside sources. Solicitations that could border on extortion. Many, many thanks dear sponsors.

Liloan prepared 10 elementary schools, 2 public high schools and 2 private schools which served as billeting quarters for the 600-plus game officials and about 3,000 athletes. Consolacion and Compostela accommodated about the same number of athletes. Experience is the best teacher so unlike the previous year, things went rather smoothly this time.

It was a privilege and pleasure working with DepEd’s Division Physical Education Schools Supervisors Mr. Senen Paulin and Mrs. Julita Loreto and I look forward to working with them again, if the opportunity comes. As we say in our language, “wa juy mga labad.”

An event of this magnitude is a collective effort and no individual can singularly claim success.

Everyone is involved. To all, daghang salamat! See you next year, perhaps in a different municipality. But if DepEd and the provincial government decides to have the same venue next year, we will be ready.

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