The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Baguio City—More than 700 athletes from the Cordillera Administrative Region will be able to compete fairly against other athletes in the country in the week-long 58th Palarong Pambansa (National Games) 2015 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, starting on May 4.
The Cordillera athletes are now better equipped after receiving donations from good Samaritans and are ready to compete with and for pride and honor.
A social-media (Facebook) post started an avenue for kindhearted people to band together and “share a shoe” for Cordilleran children bound for the National Games.
An image of athletes running barefoot in the Cordillera Autonomous Region Athletic Association (Caraa) Meet posted by Bong Cayabyab of the Public Information Office (PIO) of the city, has produced ripples on the hearts of those who have seen the image and started a viral cause by donating a pair of shoes to the athletes.
A message “I want to help the barefoot athletes” from Ida Agunos-Franklin, daughter of former City Prosecutor Gloria Agunos based in the USA, started the ball rolling.
It was a promise to send shoes for the kids, a call that jumped from one Facebook wall post to another with more friends donating more shoes and sports equipment that can fit into a “balikbayan” box.
The “share-a-shoe” project soared when University of the Cordilleras (UC) Vice President Leonarda Romasanta Aguinalde, Project Director of UC’s Project Helen (Health, Education, Livelihood, Environment and Nurturance) jumped into the band wagon by donating 1,404 Tom’s Rubber Shoes and Flip Flops worth P2.5 million, two pairs of shoes each to the 702 strong Caraa delegation bound for the Palarong Pambansa.
A US based professor, Armenia Tabor chipped-in $200 for the purchase of brand new shoes for her 10 adopted indigent athletes in Barangay Pinsao Pilot and the remaining amount will be given to the indigent adopted athlete’s needs.
A former basketeer, Leslie Cardenas, now a full time shoe shop owner, also donated three slightly used imported shoes to the athletes.
During the send-off program for the athletes on April 21 at the Mabini Elementary School, the first batch of rubber slip-ons from Aguinalde were distributed to the delight of the little ones.
After the Palarong Pambansa, the Cordillera athletes will again receive shoes from the US and other sports gear courtesy of ida Agunos Franklin and husband Dantes Kulot Aplosen Franklin, family and friends who came out of their way to donate not just pairs of shoes and funds but overwhelming support for the program.
Franklin remarked on the Facebook posts, “It’s amazing how generous people are even strangers who found out about this were quick to offer some kind of help.”
An anonymous donor from Washington DC sent P12,000 cash to be given as an incentive to the athletes who will strike the first gold in Tagum City.
The donor said P3,000 will be given to the first elementary division athlete with the first gold medal, another P3,000 to the secondary athlete with the first gold and P3,000 for the most bemedalled athlete in the elementary division and P3,000 for the most bemedalled athlete in the secondary division.
A full set of Rawlings baseball mitts will also be given to the donor’s adopted Little League Baseball Teamin Baguio City.
The selection of indigent athletes were done in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Director Ellen Donato and Sports Coordinator Fernando Eleponga who were more than willing to profile the kids and measure their feet.
A fellow athlete and a Philippine Team member Katherine Kay Santos and a Fil-Am friend Jess Barnard being track and field runners and acknowledging that safety of athletes should come first, also donated four spiked shoes with a promise to help in any which way they can.
A balikbayan, Tita Lazo who is battling cancer, donated two pairs of Air Walk lady’s shoes and two bull caps.
Abu Dhabi-based couple Lani and Bong Estras expected to come home to the Philippines in June this year also committed to adopt a Cordilleran Athlete and donate shoes.
The project now in full swing dubbed “Share-a-shoe for the Cordilleran Athlete” and an off-shoot program, “Adopt-a- Cordilleran Athlete”, show promise and a message to kids that there is a universal bond of sharing that connects.
PNA