Streets are for vehicles

Two Sundays ago, a lot of people were caught in a monstrous jam because of an international triathlon which was again hosted by Cebu. Some missed their flights as part of the route led to the airport. Well, if closing the roads is a crime, I would have been crucified a long time ago.  Yes, folks I’ve organized over 600 running events around the country from the 5K fun run, the marathon, the ultra marathon and the triathlon. True, closing the roads is an inconvenience to many people but it also generates income for the city or province, and it only takes a few hours.  In the New York City Marathon for instance, the organizers close the five boroughs for half a day.  In the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, most major roads are closed including that leading to the HK Disneyland. Yes, people complain but they know that these International races draw runners from over 50 countries.   When I was requesting for a permit in one of my races, a traffic official at first refused to grant me a  permit saying “ Streets are for vehicles and not “Sa mga buang nga sige ug dagan-dagan sa kalye”.  So i shot back, “If ang runners mga buang, then naay 50,000 runners nga mga buang sa New York City Marathon”.  Eventually, the mayor approved  my request and lambasted the traffic official.  Well, maybe time has indeed changed.  When I first organized a race here in Cebu in the late 80’s , there were only three running events for one year. While in Iloilo “Usa ra ka dagan”.  And during that time there were few vehicles, so that’s the big difference.  Although running events have slowed down, there are still races held every week.  So my advice to motorists, please have more patience on the runners while I’m also asking organizers to look for a not so busy route.

NEW SENIOR CITIZEN

Jing Jing Rama reacted to my last column where I said he turned 61 during his birthday the other Sunday. Jing Jing said “Wala pa ko kadawat ug senior citizen assistance.  Yes folks, Jing turned 60 and not 61. “Inyo ko gidalian mo tiguwang” said Jing.  I told Jing I myself is mistaken for 50 when in fact I’m really 71 years old.  Well, there’s two kinds of old, the young old (“bata ang idad pero tiguwang ang lawas”) and the old young (“tiguwang ang idad pero bata ang lawas”).  So, “Asa mo ani”?, take your pick guys! As Mayor Ed Labella said at the Cebu Fil-Chinese Chamber dinner last week, “Mens Sana In Corpore Sano”- healthy mind in a healthy body”.  On the other hand, the Pharmaton mantra says “What the mind can conceive the body can achieve”.  Yes, I directed the Nike Pharmaton 10K Classic for more than 10 years before Adidas took over from Nike to continue the circuit and called it Adidas Pharmaton 10K Classic for another five years.  The races were held in the cities of Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Baguio.

SAMCOST

Speaking of senior citizens , another good friend and fellow mediaman/musician Sam Costanilla, also turned sixty last Sunday.  We were at Ate Ging Montesclaros house in Talisay City for the taping of an episode on her new TV program, “Till The End Of Time” where I was a guest singer.  It was also an opportunity to plug our upcoming mini-concert Elvisaya and Friends Salute the Grandparents on September 8, 2019 at the Robnsons Fuente Activity Center.  Also performing with Elvisaya are Jhun Villahermosa, the Frank Sinatra of Cebu, Edison Monternel, the Tom Jones of Cebu, Cebu Pop Music Festival champion, June Villarta and TV host singer, Amie Filomeno. Sam Costanilla will again host the two-hour free show.

ERRORS

In my last column there were several names which I want to correct:

Linda Siegels breasts popped out during the1979 Wimbledon and not 1929.

Ambassador Frank Benicto should have been Benedicto

Oliver Echivarre instead of Echiverre.

DID YOU KNOW?

IRVING BAXTER The American and Olympic pole vault champion, arrived at the 1900 Paris games without his pole which was lost en route.  His competitors saw this was a chance to beat him and refused to lend him their poles.   Baxter was so mad, he uprooted a flag pole and used it instead, eventually winning the title with a vault of 10 feet 10 inches.

MARTINA NAVRATILOVA After winning the Virginia Slims Tennis Tournament in New York, threw away the prize envelope containing her check for hundreds of dollars.  You see, during that time, tennis players are usually presented with symbolic empty envelope with the real check following on later.  Fortunately, a search of the garbage bin later on turned up the missing prize money.

TOM “THE FLYING DUTCHMAN” OKKER  walked away with the $14,000 first prize money even though he lost in the 1968 U.S Open.  His opponent Arthur Ashe, was an amateur and couldn’t receive any prize money.

NUDE RELAY RACES were held in Gainsville, Florida.  To avoid athletes getting sunburned, they took place at night.  One athlete complained that he grabbed a wrong baton, “Lahi iya na gunitan”.