A work break for me in Panglao
I DID this piece in our hotel room at the Regents Park Hotel, a stone’s throw away from the famous Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol.
And I recalled what I read before, this famous beach was named after the late actress Alona Alegre, who in the 70’s shot a movie here.
She was so respectful to people there that after the shooting, local folks started callibg the place Alona Beach.
If you know your history of the love life of basketball superstars of yesteryears, AlonA was the girlfriend of Atoy Co, just as Rosemarie Gil belonged to Estoy Estrada at one time, Manny Paner ended up marrying Daisy Romualdez, and Larry Mumar hitched up with Coney Reyes. Estoy and Larry have also passed away.
I stayed in Bohol for 3 nights and 4 days , together with my wife Marissa, my apo Livi, my sister Corie and her daughter’s family, Odette and Art, kids Dominic, Tat, Vincent, and Raymond. Corie’s other son Randy was also with us.
Among others, we went all the way to the Chocolate Hills, the man-made forest on the way to the tarsier sanctuary, and on our second day of touring, took a boat to see dolphins frolicking in a specific part of the waters, then to Balicasag Island for breakfast and snorkeling for the kids, and on to the Virgin Island, a small sand bar that is actually called Pungtud Island.
It earned the name Virgin Island because previously, no local folks nor tourists went to visit the place. Nobody lives there because there is nowhere to live. Honestly, I assumed I will not find virgins there, and except for some small female kids when we went there, I knew I was right.
I felt I owed myself a break as I have been on the busy side, actually, the day before we left, I spent the afternoon till night to watch the opening games of the PVL Invitational at the FILOIL Center, particularly the Creamline – Chery Tiggo night cap.
It was expected to be a close game, and it was, except that it still ended 3-0 for Creamline who proved steadier in the end game of each set, Creamline relied on its regulars while Chery Tiggo fielded its new players from the UAAP, led by Eya Laure from UST and Princess Robles and Jen Nierva from NU among others.
Earlier, Cignal, reinforced by Jovy Gonzaga took the measure of Petrogazz, 3-1 while F2 Logistics had an easy time with Farm Fresh, winning 3-0.
I was already in Bohol on the 2nd day of action that saw Choco Mucho, starring returning Sisi Rondina, sweeping Farm Fresh 3-0, Petrogazz evening up its record with a 3-1 victory over debuting Foton , while Creamline had its second win in as many games, blanking newcomer Gerflor 3-0.
Too early to really say, but to hazard a guess, the top local teams for me will be Creamline, F2, Chery Tiggo, Choco Mucho but to be crowded out by Cignal and Petrogazz.
That was my Tuesday. Last Monday, I was at the residence of basketball patron Alex Wang in Mandaluyong. I have been helping out a GMA team that will do a 100th year documentary on the NCAA come 2024, but the team has been doing interviews with different personalities in different NCAA events, of course basketball is the center piece event.
I was able to arrange interviews with the team with Steve Watson and Fritz Gaston, both members of the 1976 and 1977 NCAA champions Ateneo.
in fact I was akso interviewed as a sportswriter covering the NCAA in the 70’s to the 90’s, then with Alex who was joined by Bonnie Tan, coach of the three peat champion team Letran , and ex San Beda cager Rensy Bajar who succeeded Bonnie as head coach.
Alex hosted a dinner for both the GMA team and the coaching staff of Letran and I ended up hobnobbing with them till after dinner, bottom line, do not count out Letran this season even as it lost its starters due to graduation.
In fact the team reached the semis in the PBA D-League recently, Alex has been sponsoring his alma mater’s senior team in the D-League the past years.
..Prior to the interview with the Letran trio of Alex, Bonnie, and Rensy, the GMA team passed by two time swimming Olympian Ral Rosario from San Beda at his office. A few days later, it was PATAFA President Terry Capistrano’s turn, he was in athletics in Letran in his younger years.
Hopefully, when the team resumes its interview skeds, NCAA’s legendary football coach Hans Smit, will also be interviewed.
The NCAA has certainly done its part in producing top athletes in the past until the present, and will reach another hundred years, but we will all be gone by then. By Lito Cinco
