Cebu’s grand weekend

Thursday morning. It was almost impossible to book a hotel room in Cebu City and its environs. There was the long Labor Day weekend to blame for it; that’s partly true. But the bigger reason was the massive influx of sports participants and spectators for three huge sporting events that simply took over the province.

Thursday morning was the press conference for Pinoy Pride: Domination, two-division world champion Donnie Nietes’ attempt to join Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr. as the only Filipino boxers to win world titles in at least three weight classes. As usual, Nietes was quietly confident despite not having tasted defeat in well over a decade. His opponent Komgrich Nantapech of Thailand said he felt it was time for Nietes to go down. But like time itself, Nietes would inevitably win the IBF flyweight belt, harking back to the first golden age of Philippine boxing ruled by Pancho Villa in the 1920’s.

Friday noon was the weigh-in for the fight at Robinsons. It was also when retired Gen. Charly Holganza arrived from Tagbilaran, Bohol, to check in final preparations for the first Cebu Dragon Boat Fiesta, which he was organizing. Three years ago, Holganza put together the first-ever international dragon boat race in his home province. A few months later, a devastating earthquake hit Bohol, then typhoon Yolanda leveled much of the Visayas. Also, Holganza was running out of excuses not to do the race in Cebu.

“My Cebu media friends were asking me all sorts of questions,” Holganza recalled. “’Cebu has the seaport, the airport, the hotels, the media, the sponsors. Why can’t you have it here?’ And all I could reply was, um, I’m from Bohol?”

The early registration hit over 500 participants, including foreign teams, a team of disabled paddlers, and a team whose members all braided their hair. The provincial government threw its full support behind the races, which will eventually be its signature second-quarter event. Opening ceremony at the Cebu Yacht Club was a veritable who’s who of Philippine and Visayan sports.

Sunday was going to be the finale of the PBA All-Star Week as the league took its show to the fans, first hitting Cagayan De Oro and Lucena before completing its nationwide tour. The exhibition was played in Cebu in 1998 and 2004, when teammates Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag were named co-winners. But now, the game will be at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, instead of the aged New Cebu City Coliseum (which has had that name since the 1960s.). What also made the game different was that each region would be represented by a selection that would play against Gilas Pilipinas.

While Cebu was drawing all the media attention, over in Quezon City, a large field entered the National Athletic Committee Philippines’ eighth Asia Pacific Bodybuilding and Fitness Championship at the Victoria Sports Complex along EDSA. Early registration hit over 150 participants, including three teams from Brunei, a squad from the United Arab Emirates, representatives from Malaysia and Indonesia, and Filipino contestants from the US. Spectators even flew in from Cebu or drove in from places like Pampanga to catch the final. The winners qualified for the World Championships in Spain next month. The event was also in preparation for the country’s hosting the World Championships in 2018.

“The level of competition is very high,” says NAC Philippines president Patrick Tan. “As you will see, even the Juniors class is already producing contestants who are more developed than what we’ve seen before.”

In the coming months, the NAC plans to beef up its grassroots development program by establishing clubs in major colleges and universities, and working with government agencies for a certification program. The event was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, the Quezon City government and other sponsors.