School opening and sports

TV shows and Tuesday’s papers were full of news about the opening of classes, and they more or less centered on the same theme: same old, same old.

The same old problems that have bedeviled the school system: lack of classrooms and school buildings, teacher shortages, no books, school supplies or even desks, were discussed in full. Add to these problems the special challenges brought on by the introduction of the “K to 12” system, and indeed one would feel like those young pupils feeling abandoned at a strange school, bawling their eyes out and crying for their mothers.

But while reporters searched for answers to the same old bothersome questions, no one seemed to link the perennial school-opening problems with an equally perennial problem: our growing population. With almost two million babies added to our population each year, it’s no wonder our government is hard put to meet the insatiable demand for more schools, classrooms, equipment and teachers.

Of course, it is our duty as a nation to educate all these youngsters. But it is equally the duty of our officials and ourselves as individuals and couples, to manage the growth of our population, if we cannot raise the necessary resources to meet their needs—not just schooling, but also enough food, health care and responsible parenthood.

We may have been by turns amused, exasperated and worried at our “school-opening blues,” but clearly we cannot just wring our hands and bemoan the state of our educational system.

Being responsible parents ourselves is a good start. We cannot afford to fail yet again the coming generation of Filipinos.

* * *

SPEAKING of the next generation, two sports personalities, the husband-and-wife team of Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr. and Mikee Cojuangco Jaworski, were the guests at Tuesday’s “Bulong Pulungan sa Sofitel” to share both good and bad news about the future of sports in the country.

The good news is the hosting later this year by the Philippines of the centennial observance of the first Far Eastern Championship Games, precursor of the Asian Games. Held last Feb. 4 in Manila, the Games were participated in by just three countries: the Philippines, China and Japan, and later joined by India and the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) until it was brought to a halt by the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937. The Philippines would host just one postwar Asian Games in the 1950s, and several Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but it hasn’t regained its old stature, either as a host country or sports competitor. But that’s getting ahead of our story.

This year’s Festival, to be held on Nov. 26-30 in Boracay, will coincide with the 32nd General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Taking part in this will be representatives of the 45 member-nations of the OCA, together with representatives of the different Continental Olympic Federations. Some 1,200 attendees are expected, including the members of the executive board of the International Olympic Committee.

Dodot Jaworski heads the 2013 Asian Games Centennial Festival as executive director, responsible for not just organizing the event and shepherding the participants, but also for raising the funds—mainly from the private sector—to stage the festivities and bring honor to the country.

The highlight of the five-day event is the Centennial Celebration, to be staged on the powdery white sands of White Beach in Station 1, a showcase of the different musical styles and performances from the five zones of Asia. Acclaimed musician Ryan Cayabyab will be musical director, while noted director Maria Montelibano will direct the program and its televised broadcast.

* * *

AND now the not-so-pleasant news.

From the storied beginnings of Philippine sports in the years before the war, the country has become a laggard not just in the medal races but also in the promotion of grassroots sports development.

Dodot, a sports figure himself being a professional basketball player before he joined politics and now doing “pro bono” work for the Festival, notes that among the 11 Asean member-countries, only two have not built any new sporting venues to host international events or made major investments in sports development. The two? The Philippines and East Timor.

Mikee, who won an individual gold medal when she competed as an equestrienne in the 2002 Games, mentions a recent survey that asked respondents what was the source of their greatest pride as Filipinos. The majority responded that it was “the victories won by Filipinos in international sports” (this was at the height of Manny Pacquiao’s boxing triumphs.

But the trouble was, she added, “only 5 percent said they engaged in any regular physical activity, while 7 percent said they had indulged in drugs, and 13 percent said they had engaged in prostitution.”

* * *

CLEARLY, sports is a neglected field in this country, even as officials and the media rage and rant at our athletes’ poor performance in international competitions.

“Please don’t blame the athletes,” pleaded Dodot, while explaining that the oft-derided officials in the country’s contingent are actually required to attend international competitions. “And you need at the very least a coach, a manager and a trainer for every athlete or team you send,” added Mikee.

The couple explained that what this country needs—and this is a decades-old plaint—is grassroots sports development, with the requisite investment in young, promising athletes who are given the training, motivation, equipment and venues they need to reach their full potential. Said Dodot: “You can’t just search for and train athletes a year before an international meet and expect him or her to win a medal!”