Basketball is life
A barangay in Tacloban shows how basketball is an integral part of the Filipino way of life
A barangay in Tacloban shows how basketball is an integral part of the Filipino way of life
'We want this to be a symbol for the community, for them to keep on playing, to keep on moving, and to keep on living.'
Like most, if not all, barangays in the Philippines, Barangay 82 in Tacloban City had its own basketball court. It was where the kids of the barangay hung out and played hoops. The games started early in the morning on weekends and afternoons during weekdays. Kids and adults alike even played until the sun went down with a few lights that barely illuminated the whole grounds.
“Yung basketball kasi parte na ng buhay namin. Kulang yung araw kapag hindi ako nakapaglaro at mahal din namin yung laro lalo
na kapag sa court namin nilalaro. (Basketball is part of our lives. My day is not complete if I don’t play and we really love the game, especially if we play it at our court),” says 20-year-old Roque James Nim, a resident of Barangay 82 and a student at Leyte Normal University.
Barangay 82’s court served not only the immediate community but other barangays as well. Aside from its main use, it was where most civic and social activities like fiestas happened. The court was well maximized despite it being unfinished—no roof, just pillars surrounding an unpainted concrete court.
Then in 2013, typhoon Yolanda struck Eastern Visayas. The super typhoon ripped through Tacloban, which left a lot of places, including Barangay 82, in shambles. After two weeks, the residents, still in the face of recovery, started to clean up their beloved basketball court. “After two weeks dahan-dahan
nilinis ang basketball court na ‘yan. At least makapag libang sila at makalimutan yung trahedya na nangyari dahil sa Yolanda. (After two weeks, we slowly cleaned the basketball court. At least they can entertain themselves and forget the tragedy brought by Yolanda),” says Barangay 82 barangay captain Rustico Medina.
Despite their efforts, the basketball court still badly needed repair. The basketball rings were loosely attached to the board. Because of what happened, they had to stop a lot of the activities, including the yearly summer basketball league. But what was important for them was that there was a place where they could gather as a community again.
“The importance of that basketball court in our community is it’s a venue for the youth to play and exercise, where they could avoid bad habits,” Rustico explains.
FRESH COAT OF HOPE
Fast forward to 2018, Barangay 82’s court is not the same dilapidated mess it was before. Six flood lights have been installed to properly illuminate the court. Both boards and rings have been replaced with new ones. And a fresh coat of paint brightened up the pillars and the court itself. It’s not just a regular paint job but an artwork. Filipino-American rapper and artist
Mike Swift created a mural, inspired by the barangay and the Filipino basketball culture, depicting an image of teens playing the sport with the sea as the background.
“Since our theme is ‘Keep on Playing,’ we figured we wanted to put the water in a different light so we put that in the background. It’s not for people to be afraid of,” he explains.
Rexona Philippines tapped the talent of Swift to help rehabilitate the basketball court as a special project. The Unilever brand aims to help communities by rebuilding or rehabilitating basketball courts.
“Rexona has always been known as a brand that inspires people to keep on moving and keep on playing. We want to inspire people to play more, to move more, and to live more. We want to communicate this message through the game of basketball,” says Rexona Philippines assistant brand manager Jay Wijesekara.
The project reflects on the brand’s #KeepOnPlaying campaign, a project that aims to inspire Filipinos to never give up no matter what happens in life.
“Basketball is a very important part for Filipino culture. Even if we’re not tall, we play basketball a lot. And it’s because in almost every barangay there’s at least one basketball court. Go to any
barangay there’s always a basketball court at the center,” Jay continues.
During recovery and rehabilitation efforts after disasters, basketball courts are the least of the government’s worries despite it playing a crucial role in a Filipino community. Rexona stepped in to help Barangay 82 and the response from the community has been overwhelming. The team rehabilitated the court last October in less than a week.
“The community also helped paint the court and set up some of the stuff. When we leave, we want this to be a symbol for the community, for them to keep on playing, to keep on moving, and to keep on living. It’s very important for them to be part of the rehabilitation process because we want them to own that basketball as theirs,” Jay says.
PROFESSIONAL HELP
During the reopening of the court, Rexona held a basketball clinic for the teenagers of Barangay 82 with the help of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players Dondon
Hontiveros and Gary David. A total of 50 teens aged 15 to 19 years old learned from the former basketball stars and were able to play an exhibition game with them.
The two professional basketball players who are used to teaching kids in sports clinics were able to share their talent to the aspiring basketball stars of Barangay 82.
“I’ve been doing camps for the past three years in Cebu and it’s my first time to have a camp like this here in Tacloban. The way they rehabilitated the court, it’s really encouraging for the kids. With hope, Rexona could do this to other barangays,” Dondon says. Community basketball courts are an important part of Dondon’s life growing up in Cebu. Basketball taught him a lot of things, including self-disci- pline and a never-give-up attitude.
“When I was younger, my dream was to really become a professional basketball player and I’m sure these kids are aware who their idols are. And to have a chance for them to learn from the coaches that we have here it’s a big opportunity for them,” he says.
For Gary, on the other hand, basketball also taught him discipline and how to be healthy. And sharing these values to the kids is important
“I’m always willing to go to these types of events because I’m able to share my experience playing basketball, when I was younger and just playing with playmates. Dondon and I know what it was like, what it felt like. I’m happy I’m here in Tacloban,” Gary says.
And when it comes to giving advice to young aspiring basketball players, both agree that focus and discipline are key to that goal.
“They should focus, play hard, and have the right attitude. Whatever your passion or goal, focus on that. Passion and vice don’t mix as you need a healthy body. Your body should be in top condition all the time to avoid injury,” Gary said.
“If they are really passionate about something especially basketball, whatever obstacle there is, they should try to find ways to improve, to find ways learn. I was lucky I was part of a team of players with the same dream. With hope they’ll find those kids and from there, grow with them to reach their dreams,” Dondon adds.