Columnist: Maximize potential in sports-tourism to boost development

WHAT does Edward Hayco, Manny Pacquiao, Efren “Bata” Reyes and Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno have in common?

They all did what they love, shared their passion and made an impact for the Philippines in their respective sports.

By doing so, they showed that sports could contribute not only to a country’s development, but also to the development of every Filipino.

Bill Velasco, sports columnist and sports show host, said the four athletes are some of the few incredible and inspiring people he has met in his line of work.

Velasco was one of the speakers in yesterday’s forum sponsored by The Freeman dubbed “Harnessing Sports as Partner in Development” at the Marcelo B. Fernan Press Center.

Participants of the forum were mass communication students of schools and colleges in Cebu City. Members of the Sportswriters Association of Cebu (SAC) were also present led by its president John Pages.

The activity was held in line with the weeklong celebration of the 17th Press Freedom Week.

Other speakers were Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Harry Don Radaza, who is at the forefront of promoting sports tourism in their city, and Judilyn Gabaton, the chief tourism operations officer of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Velasco said that the Haycos changed the landscape of dancesport in the Philippines. Reyes success in billiards multiplied the sport by 800 percent in Manila. Pacquiao, who has become a symbol of achievement for the Filipinos, galvanized the nation and allowed for the Philippines to have more world boxing champions than it ever had before with the opportunity that he has created. Nepomuceno is another athlete who makes us proud with his achievement and contribution to the sport of bowling.

But Velasco said there is something that the Philippines has never accomplished—host the Olympics.

Velasco said that to win big, you have to play big, referring to the Atlanta Olympics wherein Atlanta invested $5 billion and earned $15 billion as return of investment. According to Velasco, it was a calculated risk on Atlanta’s part but it paid off.

This is why he would propose to create a presidential committee to bid for international events. He said that a perfect example for the public and private partnership is how Lapu-Lapu City successfully launched itself as a sports tourism hub.

Radaza, who chairs the committee on sports, youth and tourism, said that when he was elected as a councilor, he had pondered how to chart programs that would take the youth to the right direction in the next three years.

He said he realized that they did not lack projects but instead lacked budget to realize all their plans.

Sports, unfortunately, is not a priority in government budgeting.

Radaza said he had tried to approach hotels and resorts but was stonewalled by the question, “What’s in it for us?” To circumvent this problem, he came up with the idea of sports tourism.

Gabaton, for her part, said that although sports tourism is relatively new to the Philippine industry, the DOT recognizes it as an emerging key in the Philippines’ economic development.  CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON