Let the games be gone

EXCEPT for the occasional ACLC-WLC basketball rift, local sports news doesn’t merit controversy. This monotony is broken by a badminton tournament in Baybay wherein the most contested event was abruptly dissolved on dubious grounds (read more on the sports page).

The report merits attention because first, it involves one of the well known sports organizations there -- the Hapakers Badminton Club; second, the event is considered a major corporate tournament of sorts, participated by some of the big name companies in Baybay and Ormoc, and sponsored by the governor, congressman and mayor.

As has been mentioned, trouble arose when the championship match for the Team Event between the Ormoc team and Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) was called off. But going beyond the technicalities, one could smell a rat from afar upon finding out that tournament officials have their own interest on the teams.

Club President Emmanuel S. Licup is the managing director of SC Coco Global Products Inc. while tournament manager Peter Luke Valenzona is (drum roll please) the coach of LSA. So why are we not surprised? The organizers came up with reasons to dissolve the championship match, mainly the late payment of registration fee by the Ormoc team.

But why did the organizers allow the Ormoc team to qualify in the first place if late payment of registration fee would become an issue? Also, why did they have to wait for the team to survive the elimination matches before making a fuss? And did we mention that sore losers are fond of changing rules in the middle of the game?

Then they made an issue out of Ormoc team’s number of players. Citing their rules, a team should be composed of five players at most but Ormoc team fielded 10. The organizers suddenly become stickler of rules but forgot that they waived that rule as a compromise to allow LSA to take part in the Team Event.

Again, based on their own rules, the Team Event is a corporate category. The Ormoc team members consist of employees from the city government, Energy Development Corp. and National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, whereas LSA is composed of varsity players. But it’s so convenient to break that rule especially if you have the LSA coach as tournament manager, isn’t it?

The rat stench becomes even more obnoxious after SC Coco Global and Baybay Photographers Society withdrew their registration fees. To refresh our memories, club president Licup is a company official of SC Coco Global. Why would he cause embarrassment to his own tournament by allowing his own company to withdraw its registration fee?

Didn’t he realize that by doing so, there will be no budget left for prizes in the Team Event of which Ormoc team happens to be leading? Unless the move was staged to justify the dissolution of the match. And whatever happened to the sponsorship money they collected that was supposed to go to the prizes?

Here’s what we think. Despite missing the first day of the tournament, the Ormoc players managed to crawl their way up on top of the eliminations and some people in the club didn’t like it. Sports officials are expected to set the example on sportsmanship, not to manipulate rules.

Their misconduct may have deprived a rival team of bragging rights, but it exposed their real nature as “sportsmen.” What does Valenzona suppose this controversy teach his players? As for Licup, we hope his integrity as a company man survives this episode.

Unless they come up with more believable reasons for cancelling an important game, they can’t stop others from thinking that the event they mounted wasn’t a tournament but a sham.

(West Leyte Weekly Exress issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Construction risk mng’t seminar held

By Rommel Quilantang

ORMOC Builders Association (Orba) conducted a Construction Risk Management Seminar for both developers and contractors. Invited to speak in the event is Engr. Alberto A. Ignacio Jr., VP-Operations of First Balfour Inc., a company of the Lopez Group.

Engr. Ignacio talked about the risks in various stages of construction and pointed out the importance of safety, insurance and contracts to avoid future problems. He said it is important for both contractor and the client to agree on salient points of the project before the start of implementation.

He cited actual examples of contractors’ failure to respond to risks that resulted to financial losses as a result of work stoppage. On the other hand, a contractor that is able to prepare and respond to risks will gain a good reputation in the market and will entice more clients and projects, he said.

 

Orba President Engr. Joseph Frederick A. Pepito described the things they learned as very helpful. He adds that with the seminar on Construction Risk Management, which is actually a course in Civil Engineering, local contractors are now guided on the risks involved in project implementation brought about by lack of understanding with their clients.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

EDC launches ilang-ilang prod’n project in Kananga

By Gerardo C. Reyes Jr.

Energy Development Corp. (EDC) and the municipal government of Kananga launched the Ilang-ilang Essential Oil Production to encourage the town folk to propagate Ilang-ilang flowers. A ceremonial signing by Mayor Elmer C. Codilla and EDC Community Partnership Department Manager Engr. Emeliano Argoncillo highlighted the event.

Engr. Arconcillo explained that the Philippines only has between 20,000 to 300,000 Ilang-ilang trees, most of which  are found in Tarlac province and Central Luzon (10.15%). The number couldn’t supply Europe’s demand for essential oils for perfume. At least 1.8 million trees are needed to cope up with the demand.

Under the program, each barangay will identify three to six hectares of suitable land to plant Ilang-ilang. Engr. Argoncillo explained that three hectares can be planted with 1,000 Ilang-ilang trees that will bear flowers after three to four years. However, full harvest can be expected when the tree reaches eight years.

Fresh Ilang-ilang flowers sell for P8 a kilo while extracted oil is worth P8,000 per liter. This means that 100 trees can earn for the farmer P8,000 a month or P95,000 annually. A thousand tress can fetch P1.9 million annually. At three to six hectares per barangay, Kananga will soon have a 69 to 115 hectares of Ilang-ilang plantations or a potential income of P44-87 million annually by 2015 and beyond.

 

Present at the signing ceremony are Liga ng mga Barangay President Procesa T. Baguio, Department of Education Kananga District I Supervisor Tita P. Alajas and District II Principal in charge Wilfredo Marquez, Kananga National High School Principal Julita Clavel and Lim-ao National High School Principal Marcelo Refuerzo.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

NFA assures enough stocks to stabilize rice prices

by Jun Colo

DESPITE the continued rise of petroleum products, the National Food Authority (NFA) believes the price of rice will continue to be stable particularly in Ormoc with the arrival of a new shipment next week, according to Senior Grains Operations Officer Victorino H. Dagoy.

Some 20,000 sacks of rice will arrive from Cebu on Apr. 7. The expected rice is rated 5% broken or having the same quality as with the commercial variety. Which is not a bad deal considering NFA rice sells for P27 a kilo compared to P35-36 a kilo of the commercial variety. Dagoy finds it unlikely that retailers in Ormoc mix NFA rice with the commercial variety as their inspectors regularly monitor the stores.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

VSU-Aussie group project tie-up

A protective structure at a vegetable farm in Ormoc, a technique taught by VSU.

VISAYAS State University (VSU) has tied up with the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) for a project that aims to protect high value commercial crops from the negative effects of heavy rainfall and strong winds. The technology is now adopted by the local government units (LGU) of Ormoc, Baybay and Maasin Cities.

“The concept is they have to protect the plant from rain and strong winds usig bamboos and transparent plastic,” VSU President Jose Bacusmo said. “We have other sophisticated ways to protect crops from weather adversities but the protective structure in this project is very affordable and the materials are widely available.

ACIARE finances the project while VSU provides the manpower and forge linkages with LGUs. At least 50 units are planned to be set up in Baybay alone. “It was proven that the technology works. It has been applied in many parts of the country but it was not implemented here before. We need it here especially that rain is frequent in our place,” Bacusmo explained.

Prof. Gordon Rogers of University of Sydney said Leyte was prioritized because of its heavy rainfall. “It helps to maintain production of crops during wet season. It’s difficult to produce good crops during this season,” he said. This cropping technique is very appropriate here, he adds, considering extreme weather condition decreases vegetable output. A protective structure is needed as safeguard against extreme weather conditions.

 

Bacusmo said they allow farmers to build their own protective structure using bamboos and plastics. Protective cultivation is a cropping technique wherein the micro-climate surrounding the plant body is controlled according to the requirement of the species during its period of growth. The German International Cooperation Agency is interested in expanding the project to other areas in Leyte.

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Badminton tourney organizers accused of unportsmanlike behavior

By Felix N. Codilla III

CONTROVERSY marred a badminton competition in Baybay City after organizers are accused of manipulating the tournament mechanics to sabotage the chances of the Ormoc team of winning the championship title. The team has sought the assistance of Councilor Ruben R. Capahi, chairman of the Ormoc City Sports Council, as a prelude to filing a formal protest against game organizers.

Under protest is the Summer Smash Badminton Tournament organized by the Hapakers Badminton Club of Baybay. The tourney had three events: Team Event, Age Group for children 12 years old and under, and Open Tournament. The Ormoc team joined the Team Event along with five other teams. The games were scheduled to be played for four consecutive Saturdays starting Mar. 26 to Apr. 15 but the Ormoc team was only able to play beginning the second Saturday on Apr. 2. Despite this setback, it was able to play 15 matches against Leyte Sports Academy (LSA), Salchem and SC Coco Global in all categories and earned 44 points that day.

On Apr. 9 the team played five matches against Baybay Photographers Society (BPS) while all scheduled games against Bayantel were declared wins by default in Ormoc’s favor after the Bayantel team did not show up. With the point system in effect, the Ormoc team finished first n the elimination round with 77 points followed by LSA’s 65 points.

A championship match was set between the top two finishers in Apr. 15. The Ormoc team arrived at Baybay National High School, the tournament site, before 6:00 am on the scheduled date but it was only after the awarding ceremonies for the Age Group and Open Tournament categories that they were informed that the Team Event category was dissolved.

Sought for an explanation, tournament Manager Peter Luke Valenzona cited the following reasons why the Team Event category was incontestably dissolved: 

1. Ormoc team’s entry was forfeited because of late payment of registration fee;
2. SC Coco Global and BPS withdrew their registration fees;
3. As a result of the withdrawal of registration payments, organizers were left with no budget for cash prizes;
4. The number of Ormoc team’s members was protested considering the tournament rules state that each team should be composed of five players at most but Ormoc fielded 10.

Judith F. Paredes who stands as the team’s spokesperson disputes Valenzona’s assertions. According to her, if Ormoc team’s payment of registration was that late, the organizers shouldn’t have accepted their registration fee and issued a receipt, much less allowed them to play in the tournament.

The withdrawal of registration fees by SC Coco Global and BPS are also irrelevant considering the two teams have already been eliminated. Paredes finds the “no budget” reason lame considering the tournament was sponsored by Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, Rep. Jose Carlos L. Cari, Mayor Carmen L. Cari and LSA.

As to the supposed protest on the number of players, Paredes said this has already been settled, otherwise their team wouldn’t have been allowed to play. Besides, the Ormoc team also questioned LSA’s inclusion in the Team Event which is supposed to be for corporate teams only, but they eventually dropped it. LSA consists of high school varsity players under the Leyte division of Department of Education.

Another act by the organizers which the Ormoc team considers as done in bad faith was the refund of their registration fee behind their back to their sponsor, Badminton City, even if it was the players who handed over the money and received the receipt thereof. Moreover, the organizers returned only P1,300 out of the P2,000 registration fee paid.

The Ormoc team members sees the development as a concerted effort to rob them of the opportunity to win the title considering the organizers themselves have a stake on the losing teams. Valenzona is the coach of LSA while the president of Hapakers Club, Emmanuel S. Licup, is the manager of SC Coco Global which lost in the elimination round.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)

Leyteño wins A$5,000 for rural school

GRATEFUL. Pupils of Cambalading Elementary School express their appreciation to Rusman Tulin (inset photo).

By Janny Maye Pacarat

A LEYTEÑO now residing in Australia won a grant for a small community school in neighboring Albuera town. Rusman Tulin, 38 is awarded A$5,000 (approx. P233,000) that will be used for the improvement of Cambalading Elementary School in his native hometown.

Queensland-based plan company Sunsuper mounted the Sunsuper Dreams contest among its 130,000 plan holders wherein they will share their dreams to make the world a better place. Rusman’s entry to improve Cambalading Elementary School attracted over 3,000 votes, mostly from Toowoomba where he lives.

Rusman works as a nurse in Australia and has been a Sunsuper plan holder since 2002. Last year, Rusman has donated school supplies to the school. Now, he hopes the money won will be used to complete the fence, stage renovation and water system of the school. He plans to visit home this December.

 

Rusman is an overseas Filipino worker hero who has not forgotten to help his countrymen back home. He graduated in BS Commerce major in Management at Western Leyte College in 1993 where he was a student leader. Prior to migration, he worked at the accounting department of Ospa-Farmers Medical Center for eight years.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24)

WLC wins table tennis at PRISAA

by Elvie Roman-Roa

A TEAM from Western Leyte College won the table tennis championship at the Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) meet on Apr. 8-14 in Zamboanga. Coach Amado Rey Salvame said this is the first time Region 8 won a gold medal in one of the events of Prisaa.

The team is composed of BS Business Administration majors Winston Bustillo, Dodjie Mark Navarro and Mervin Blando. The silver medal was won by Region 11 (Davao) while Region 6 (Western Visayas) won bronze. Region 7 (Central Visayas) place 4^th. Last year, Region 6 was champion followed by Regions, 7 and 6. 
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Apr. 18-24, 2011)