At the Palaro, change is coming...not?

If there was one event that I wish were a major part of President Digong Duterte’s slogan, this would have to be the Palarong Pambansa. Unfortunately for us in sports, it surely doesn’t look like the Palaro is high on Duterte’s priority list. The Palaro kicks off today in San Jose, Antique. It’s the biggest sports spectacle for the elementary and high school levels, gathering the country’s best athletes in all major sports for one week of competitions.You name the sport, it’s most likely part of the Palaro. It’s the closest a student-athlete can get to an elite, Olympic-style event. Organized by the Department of Education, the Palaro to many is the event of all sports events. Qualifying for the Palaro is already a huge achievement for student-athletes. There is no question that from a competition standpoint, it’s the ultimate final stop where one competes against the best of the best. There is no question that the country’s top athletes are present and go head-to-head give to win the gold medal. There is no question that it showcases the country’s elite athletes and potential international athletes. But while the Palaro in the media looks and sounds like it can be compared to the staging of an Olympics, think again.

Now the bad news. Every year, the same, old and repetitive complaints arise from every Palaro. Accommodations and officiating stink (literally and figuratively). This is where I hope President Digong can step in with his tough stand and bring in true change. What happened to his fellow Davaoeños might inspire him to do something. The delegation from Davao, our beloved president’s homecourt, was greeted with cartons (of boxes) as their sleeping beds when they arrived. Pictures spread on Facebook and the Davao media picked this up quickly. I can already imagine the Davao people using their connections to reach President Digong or PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez. Reports indicate that the mattresses or sleeping mats that were ordered for the Palaro haven’t been delivered in full, and the Davao delegation was one of the unfortunate victims of this slip. Why am I not surprised?

Isn’t it only proper that the nation’s biggest event which features the country’s elite athletes also be at a top-level in every department? It looks like the staging of a grandiose opening and competitions per se have been the only focus of the Palaro organizers. I would rather see a Palaro without a “bongga” opening ceremony but one with excellent officiating and decent accommodations. My own little wish is that even if it’s a given that athletes will have to sleep in public schools, efforts must be made to make these comfortable and homey. We’re not asking to convert the public schools into instant pension houses or hotels, but so much more can be done. This is why a region has to deal with teams and/or athletes who ask not to stay at the official billeting places assigned to the team. It’s common to have players staying in the city-host’s hotels, pension houses, inns and even private homes. The main rationale of coaches and managers is that they want their athletes to be well-rested in between games so that they can perform at the highest level. After all, this is the Palaro, isn’t it?

I’m afraid the same goes for officiating as another annual source or topic of complaints and rants. The highest level of competitions also deserves topnotch officiating. But does the Palaro make an effort to make this happen? What we hear instead are complaints more than congratulatory messages for officiating. With social media, this has been amplified more than ever, and yet not much has improved. I just find it ironic that the DepEd, with its core of teachers and employees who are qualified professionals, can’t seem to get the calls right. As education practitioners, they’re the most qualified to learn more about a sport, teach about the sport and manage competitions. I’d like to see the DepEd coordinate more with the NSAs of each sport to find ways to improve their officiating. Their officials should get more officiating exposure outside of the DepEd network by officiating in other tournaments. As a case study, how many football referees are accredited by the Philippine Football Federation and have officiated at PFF-sanctioned tournaments or those at the regional football association level like the Cebu FA? In basketball, how many have attended the referee courses of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas? And do they officiate at other basketball events? Wouldn’t it be great if a DepEd referee was also a respected official at the CESAFI, NBTC, CYBL, the Milo-backed BEST Center SBP Passerelle tournaments and the Milo Little Olympics? I hope the Palaro officials aren’t there only for the fees that they receive and the points they get for their career path as teachers. If they’re officiating before the country’s top athletes, they too, need to be the best officials available. They should remember that they’re there for a very important task and not to be tourists on a junket. In fairness, some events have already improved in terms of officiating and I hope others follow suit.

Despite all these, the Palaro is still the Palaro and the show must go on. Looking forward, with PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez and Cebu’s Ramon Fernandez (as PSC Commissioner) taking the lead in “change is coming,” I’m hopeful that change will come at the Palaro.

*** Time-out: The BEST Center basketball clinic of the Milo Summer Sports Program will be held May 8-13 at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Mango Avenue campus. For details, check out its Facebook page BEST Center Sports Cebu.