Skateboarding gold

THE Asian Games is still on, and for us, some surprises are emanating from where it is held, in Palembang, Indonesia. The recent surprise came again from another of the unlikely events for the country in the Asiad. I am referring to Cebuana Margielyn Didal’s gold medal haul from, of all disciplines, skateboarding. “Who would have thought...?” a friend muttered.

We didn’t get gold medals from the more popular events like, yes, basketball. Gilas Pilipinas, represented by the core from the Rain or Shine team in the Philippine Basketball Association and beefed up by Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the United States’ National Basketball Association didn’t get a podium finish after close defeats to China and South Korea.

Snatching gold is always a morale booster, so thanks to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz for giving the Philippines the first one. Golfer Yuka Saso then gave us another, and her golf team that included Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go gave us our third. Didal gave us the fourth. Weightlifting, golf and skateboarding? Mmmm... Skateboarding?

I frequent a store in the downtown area that is in the middle of two converging roads, one a major thoroughfare and the other a secondary route. The latter is a favorite playground of young skateboarders because only few vehicles pass it. When the road gets deserted, they do their thing there, the noise of skateboard wheels rolling and skateboards being flipped taking over from those of engines revved up. in a government office before she went to the University of Hawaii as an East West Center Scholar earning her Masters Degree in Economics. She lives in Hawaii with husband Terry Lee Hildebrand, who grew up in Illinois. They have an one daughter Anna Noelani Hildebrand. She has worked both for government and non-government organizations most specially for needy communities. After the IIC 12 she has brought us around the University and the local museums and her knowledge and commitment for indigenous peoples and environment is admirable. She went back to the University of Hawaii for urban and regional planning studies.

Manang Brigitt and I were together as charter COE of IGO Philippines. Where I served as a

Skateboarding has a bit of a similarity with basketball. One can play it cheap. A basketball ring can be put up wherever a space is available; the smaller the space the smaller the ring and the basketball. In a way, the pleasure derived from playing basketball can be adjustable. And because one can play it cheap and almost anywhere, even in backyards, many are into it.

Didal is the daughter of a kwek-kwek vendor in Lahug but skateboards are not as expensive as say, golf clubs. And unlike golf that can only be played in special venues and needs support staff, in skateboarding, you grab a skateboard, look for smooth ground, often a road, and you are ready to play it. Of course, you need money to go into the finer points of the game.

I initially thought skateboarding would become a mere fad like BMX biking of old. Youngsters on BMX also used to disturb the road setup, the bikers doing their thing in groups, flying, twisting, etc. like the X-Games was on their minds. BMX bikers are no longer ubiquitous; skateboarders now are. Didal’s Asian Games triumph will ensure the skateboarding would feed the dreams of its players.

But the ripple effect shouldn’t only be on skateboarders. Its bigger impact should be on sports officials, especially in the sometimes feuding Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). Secretary and as Vice President during my active years in IGO Philippines for close to ten years. Together with other IGO Philippines COE we were active in hosting the IIC in Banaue and preparing delegations to IIC London,IIC St Louis, IIC Melbourne and other IGO programs.

Dr. Brigitt Santiago has career in the academe as Chief Librarian and Instructor in the University of Baguio for twenty years, likewise for Cordillera Career Development College, as President of Easter College, and presently the Officer in charge of ACATECH Aviation College - Baguio Branch. She is married to another academician from Zamboanga City, the retired Assistant Chief of the CHED-CAR. They have three children Arby Ray, April Leslie and Bernice Mae. They have two grandchildren Kinein Cygne and Atria Hope. She is closely related to the founding fathers of IGO being the daughter of Rev. Anthony O. Sagalla and Ester Botengan. mabalin. Pakanem ida iti kinilo a bukbok ta makita ti puskol ti bituka ken rupada, pwe!

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Dipay nakaadayo ti imbestigasyon panggep iti bagas. Agtitinnudodan. Agpipinnabasoldan. Magsimagsi lemmeng ti ipusna, kabsat. He he…no sibibiag laeng daydi lolok, nalpas ti puliyo! Palamutennakayo a talaga iti tinonelada a bukbok! Mannalon ni lolok ket ammona a no nadalus ken naannad ti pannakaidulin ti irik ken bagas…impusipos kano a pirdien ti bukbok.

Arasaas: idi maikarga ngata dagita a bagas iti naggappuanna a pagilian, adda ngata opisyal ti gobyernotayo ti adda sadiay a nangkita iti estado ti angkatentayo a bagas? Pirak ti umili ti naaramat dita…dida kadi binantayan tapno saan a masayang kas pangarigan? Tsk tsk…kasla gumgumluong iti lapayagko ti bugtak daydi lolok: isubliyo dagita a bagas! Apay panagkitada kadatayo, baboy a mangsabsab iti bukbok?

Ngekngekda! Relax lang lolo…ikararagmo laengen ta dumakkel koma dagita a bukbok a kas kadakkel ti manok bareng ta mabalin a pagkuartaan – Fried Bukbok, adobong bukbok…busitt!

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Ngem guray, pards…daytay pagsasaritaanda a kartel ti bagas…’niat makunayo? Adda kano dagiti traders ti agilemlemmeng iti bagas tapno maidektarda ti presyo a kayatda inton agkurangen ti bagas ditoy pagilian.

Ngem adda timmapik: ti kartel ket nabayagen a mapaspasamak manipud pay laeng iti taltalon nga agingga iti bodega dagiti traders. Kasta? Wen, kunada ngamin umutang dagiti mannalon iti amin a kasapulanna iti panagtalon manipud kadagiti sukida (agpapautang) a traders wenno negosyante.

Nalakada a makautang ngamin adda ti talonda a nakapotika wenno collateral. Ti saritaan, inton agapit ni mannalon, alaen ni trader ti apitna kas bayad ti utangna. Arig awanton ti matda a parakaan piman ni mannalon iti kadakkel ti anak wenno porsiyento ti inutangna a pinagtalon.

So…ditan a mangrugi ti monopolyo. No koma ta adda sidadaan a pondo ti gobyerno a maipautang kadagiti mannalon…mapukaw ti kartel ken monopolyo, saan aya? Ngem alsemna, ti kano binilyon a pirak a nailatang a tulong kadagiti mannalon ket naaramat met gayam iti sabali.

Maryusep! Dagita nga akin-aramid ti rumbeng a pakanen iti bukbok, saan aya? Sa ita…piman a mapespespes dagiti umili a mamiraut iti ngina ti presyo ti bagas gapu iti aramid dagita a demonyo ken binukbok ti utekna.

Sige…resolbarenyo ti nakuna a parikut ta ngamin umadanin ti eleksiyon 2019. Amangan ta maaramat dayta kontrobersiya a sammaked dagiti pulitikos a mahilig nga umangkas wenno sumakay tapno laeng makaala iti bukbok, este, butos.

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Anak ti salbag ta dipay nalawagan ti bukbok iti bagas, simmingat pay ti isyu ti galunggong. Adda pay kano formalinna. Nagmalas metten a political exercise no maaramatto dagitoy (bukbok ken formalin) kas poon ken urat ti plataporma dagiti kandidato. A no isuda ti maibutos, mapukawto kano ti bukbok ken formalin!

Pordios porlata. Amangan ta tupakandaka iti binukbok a bagas, pards. Ammom, pards…dueto ti parikut iti bagas ken galunggong. Adu ti bagas, kadagiti bodega dagiti traders ta isuda laeng ti mapaglakuan dagiti mannalon iti apitda. Adu met ti galunggong ngem apay nga agimportda pay laeng?

Apay, galunggong laeng kadin ti lames ti baybay? Kasla maal-allingagkon kabsat ti ikkis dagiti kandidato inton 2019 ken 2022. “No siak ti tulonganyo nga ipatugaw…bastante ti bagas ken galunggong!” Ti nakaam-ames no agbaliktad ti dilada ta kastoy ti resulta: “No siak ti ibotosyo, mapukaw ti bukbok ti galunggong ken formalin ti bagas!” Ngaakkk! Baboo. Adios mi amor, ciao, mabalos!