Plain and Simple: Engaging in sports

Was there during the opening of the Batang Pinoy Mindanao Leg, and I enjoyed the spectacle of how the athletes from Mundanao paraded their contingent.
Davao Norte governor Anthony del Rosario was there to personally welcome the Mindanao Athletes. William I Ramirez , Chair of the Philippine Sports Commission inspired the athletes to finish the race with honor. Everything is lost but honor.
The Batang Pinoy is PSCs sporting program to give our young athletes, a hughway, they can show their talents and compete. PSC has Batang Pinoy, DepEd has Palarong Pambansa.
Sports are life-changing especially for a poor nation like the Philippines. The millions of poor youth struggle to develop talents hoping they could make a championship mark.
The perfect example is Manny Pacquiao. No need to talk how poor he was growing up as a boy. Everybody knows his poverty. But poverty did not stop him from engaging in boxing. When he was struggling no politician ever cared for him. No businessman even bothered about him. Probably he was even mocked.
Poor Manny trained hard… harder. Spending sleepless nights anywhere he trained had a dream. His dream was a hundred times bigger than himself. He trained harder. And harder.
His body so fit. His mind so sound. Manny climbed the ladder of his boxing career… Slow but sure. Steady and with so much grit. Now, history is kinder to him. It was a choice for a sport he loves so much.
Pacman is the greatest boxer in the world. And he is a Filipino.
In the Philippines, Pacman is a senator of the republic. So unique and unusual. A boxer considered by many especially the rich as lowly profession is a senator.
And Pacman is now so rich as to gather the stars in business and politics like Singson, etc. The poor man from Gensan is now a multi-millionaire… Life-changing indeed.
Manny has the talent. Second, he has the determination, the guts, the grit, the passion. With this he crawled his way up… And emerged the champion.
Was it easy? No, it wasn’t. Twas hard, harder, hardest. But he fought his battles to success. No need to explain. Gifted with extra ordinary talent, Pacman is now so rich. His money comes from the sweat of her brow. Not the kawat in politics.
But this is professional boxing. What about the rest of us ordinary mortals. The more we engage in sports. It keeps us young. It gives us the perfect body so fit for anything.
While food is necessary, sports are essential. So much food with a sedentary life breeds sakit. Diabetes with so much rice. And no exercise.
Many politicians argue that sports di makaon. But it keeps us healthy. That is why when the PSC was enacted into law 6847 it said… To develop healthy and vibrant citizenry… is that hard to understand.
Problem is there is no money in sports. Just plain and simple exercise of body and mind.
Hey governor and congressmen and women, let’s do brisk walking, and running. Tennis, badminton. Etc.. Engage in any sporting activity. Ayaw cge patabab og pangasaba.