The journey of the Philippine delegation to Winnipeg for the 20th World Police and Fire Games

by Leila Castro

Last year, while game was ongoing at Netherlands, a concerned Filipino who lives in Netherlands spoke with me about the challenges faced by the 9 Filipino police athletes who participated in the World Police and Fire Games. It was a challenge to navigate Rotterdam city going to the athlete’s game venue, so how they wished there was a kababayan there they could speak with upon their arrival to give them information about going to places, and possibly transportation also. Not having enough financial resources was a big issue. The athletes spent for their participation to the games from their own pockets. The cost of accommodation and food in Netherlands was way higher than they could afford. For some police athletes who were earning less than $1,000 per month, each day at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, they just ate a lot to load their stomach with food hoping to feel still full till nighttime, because their next meal would be the next breakfast buffet again. My heart was crushed while hearing these stories. I assumed that only 9 Filipino police and fire department athletes would come to Winnipeg for the 2023 games that our city will host. I also gave my word – no one will get hungry, no one will get lost, no one will be late to their games. “Walang magiging kawawa.”

By last week of July this year, Kenneth Salazar, a member 204 Volunteers Inc.- Caring Manitobans in Action, reached out to the community leaders about the arrival of Filipino athletes for the games. Initially, the intention was to ensure the delegation will be given a Filipino community welcome. I shared to the group the information I gathered about the challenges met by the same athletes last year. The community leaders were made aware that more than the welcome party, there will most likely be basic needs of the athletes where they will need the support of the Filipino-Winnipeggers. It turned out that not 9 athletes are coming, but more than 99 athletes. Fortunately, as we had always proven in the past, out tight knit Filipino family can be depended on by anyone vulnerable (from missing persons, homeless Filipinos to victims of crimes). Through the social media group 204 Filipino Forum and Marketplace and with the help of mainstream media CKJS, we had spread the word about the arrival of our Filipino athletes and their basic needs that hopefully we could fill through bayanihan in our Filipino community. We were overwhelmed from the outpouring of support from the fellow Filipinos here and from the multicultural community. There are homes that accommodated the athletes board and lodging for free. Many offered to transport athletes to/ from their games. 204 Volunteers Inc. – Caring Manitobans in Action also immediately allocated $1,000 dollars to provide gas money to transportation volunteers and feed the 70 delegations who attended the game. Many people dropped off the requested healthy food for the athletes. Generous business owners donated money for whatever emergency needs the athletes would have.

I hosted Brig. General Jason Ortizo at my house, the PNP’s priest chaplain. During evenings, we would spend hours over dinner to share to each other about the 204 Volunteers Inc. – Caring Manitobans In Action. Father Ortizo said that through the years they had been going to countries, they never encountered such a caring community for their athletes. He also felt that more than coming here to compete, it was a divine intervention that Father Ortizo met here the 204 family. 204 Volunteers Inc. – Caring Manitobans in Action gave a token to General Jason Ortizo and to the athletes’ delegation head General Rhodel Sermonia, the vests that the 204 volunteers wear, as a symbol that the strong connection between the PNP athletes family and our 204 family is now there; it is a connection that was formed through the spirit of bayanihan on a foreign land. When the delegation returns to the Philippines, they can tell the stories about their stay in Winnipeg, and that hopefully, in their future travels to countries that will host the future games, Filipino communities will also emulate the beautiful bayanihan that transpired in Winnipeg.