Appeal for help

The good news is pro boxing referee and judge Virgilio (Vio) Garcia will likely be discharged from The Medical City in Pasig this weekend after recovering from COVID-19 but the bad news is he’s hard up to pay his hospital bill of over P300,000, excluding doctor’s fees.

Garcia, 72, checked in at the hospital three weeks ago with pneumonia. He later tested positive for COVID-19 and his consolation was it was a mild case. Garcia stayed alone in his 11th floor room and visitors weren’t allowed. The isolation was tough to endure but Garcia said he would’ve died if his wife Haydee and daughter Gay didn’t take him to the hospital. Luckily, he didn’t need a ventilator. For seven days, Garcia was hooked to an IV needle that injected medication into his body under pulmonologist Dr. Liza Garcia’s supervision.

“Sabi ko, lalabanan ko itong COVID-19,” said Garcia in a phone conversation from his hospital bed the other night. “Dadalhin sana ako sa COVID floor ng hospital pero mild case lang naman ako kaya pinaglaban ng anak ko na mag-stay ako sa original room. Buti naman pumayag. Ang hirap ng walang kasama at kausap sa kwarto ng tatlong linggo. Sa awa ng Diyos, ligtas na ako.” While he’s licked the virus, Garcia said the next challenge is to settle his hospital bill. “Hindi ako nahihiya humingi ng tulong,” said Garcia. “Sana malaman ng mga taga-boksing ang kalagayan ko. Baka maawa sila at tulungan ako. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako kukuha ng pambayad.”

Garcia finished high school in his hometown of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija and never went to college. For two years, Garcia worked in a plywood factory in Cagayan where he met boxing promoter Rod Nazario. He was also employed for two years at the New Frontier Supermarket and worked nearly a year in Japan. In 1976, Garcia got a GAB license as a boxing judge during chairman Luis Tabuena’s term and in 1987, took out another license as a boxing referee. Boxing became Garcia’s full-time occupation. When his brother Grego, a former boxer, opened a gym and began to manage fighters, Garcia helped out in the business. Among the Garcias’ best-known proteges were former Oriental champion Rod Sequinan and former WBC flyweight titlist Rolando Pascua. Grego died of a stroke in 1995 and Garcia went on to focus on his career as a referee and judge.

Garcia was a judge in three WBC and 17 OPBF title fights. He was at ringside when Pongsaklek Wonjongkam knocked out Daisuke Naito in 0:34 of the first round to retain his WBC flyweight crown in Thailand in 2002. Garcia was also a judge in Nonito Donaire’s fight against Kaichon Sor Vorapin in Guam in 2002. As a referee, he worked 17 WBC Asian Boxing Council Continental, four OPBF, three WBC International, three WBC Youth World, three WBO Oriental and two WBC Youth Intercontinental championships bouts.

Garcia has three children and six grandchildren. His son Gilbert, 49, works in Japan with his Japanese wife for an American businessman in a supermarket. His daughter Grace, 45, earned a psychology degree at Letran and is employed at BDO. His youngest Gay, 39, graduated at Holy Spirit and works at UCPB. “Hindi man ako nakatapos ng college pero napag-aral ang tatlong anak namin ng misis ko dahil sa hanapbuhay ko sa boksing,” said Garcia.

Donations to help out Garcia may be deposited in the savings account No. 000011945278 of Gay B. Garcia, UCPB Main Office Branch.