My friend, football coach Kaka Cabantog Sinsuat, just conducted the Ramadhan Cup in Maguindanao Region which attracted 25 age-group teams.
The football tournament was held March 18-19, shortly before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Datu Paglas Stadium in Cotabato City as part of the grassroots sports development thrust of the Maguindanao Regional Football Association.
What is unique about the program of MRFA and Coach Kaka is that through the years it has promoted not only the football development skills of participating teams but, more so, it has been committed to the enhancement of peace, harmony, understanding, friendship and camaraderie.
“These are the goals of the tournament we host,” Coach Kaka told me as he added that participants are young people representing diverse groups. “We have Muslims, Christians, IPs, Ilonggos, Bisaya and others.”
A welcome, program for young people, indeed, particularly in a region where peace and order have been a nagging concern.
We reiterate our congratulations to the MRFA, Coach Kaka and his fellow sports leaders in the region for initiating and sustaining a program designed to promote sports and social development. We trust that they will continue in their efforts and draw a more widespread support base to realize the ultimate objectives of the program.
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I have been inspired to focus on Coach Kaka and his colleagues’ initiatives, especially when I think of promoting sports as a vehicle for peace and friendship. This week reminds us of this concern as the world community observes – on April 6 – the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
The observance was initiated by the United Nations “in recognition of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, social and economic development.”
This week’s observance is themed “Scoring People and the Planet”. The theme focuses around the impact and influence of sport on sustainable development and peace, UN added.
The global organization further cited sport as a tool for individual development, health promotion and disease prevention, promotion of gender equality, social integration, peace building and conflict resolution and post disaster/ trauma relief and normalization of life as well as economic development, communication and social mobilization.
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The World Health Organization invites this week stakeholders and citizens of the world to join it in its journey to achieve the “Health For All” goal and to motivate action to tackle present and future health challenges.
The invitation was extended for the observance of World Health Day on Friday, April 7.
WHO was founded in 1948 by countries of the world that came together “to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.”
The 75th anniversary observance is considered by the organization as “an opportunity to look back at public health successes that have improved quality of life during the last seven decades. It is also an opportunity to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today – and tomorrow.”
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It’s refreshing and rejuvenating to renew bonds with someone you have not seen nor heard of for quite some time, like five decades.
Few months back, I came across a college classmate on an online platform and our virtual reunion sparked pleasant memories of good, old days at Central Philippine University, where we were classmates in a Journalism introductory class.
Her home church’s centennial anniversary paved the way for renewed ties between the former Josette Gico, a popular campus personality, and I as she was my main source of vital details in our Negros Weekly Q&A feature.
How names of long time have stuck in our pleasant recesses that when I captioned photos of her two grandchildren in our Holy Week cover story on a Pilgrimage to Israel, Josette’s maiden name spontaneously and inadvertently came to mind, thus the brother and sister were surnamed Gico. My sincerest apology to Kairos and Francheska Jalando-on and their father, Pastor Neil Jalando-on, who wrote the cover story.
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Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) – NWI
