OFF THE PRESS: The UP Forum April-June 2018 Vol. 19 No. 2 issue is now available online

FORUM UNIVERSIT Y OF THE PHILIPPINES

S h a p i n g m i n d s t h at s h a p e t h e n at i on

APRIL-JUNE 2018

VOLUME 19 NO. 2

UP Fight!

Lights! Camera! Tumble! | 5

The science is in. Getting high on sports is a good thing, especially if you’re a teenager.

Everybody loves Pep Squad ng Bayan. Year after year, the performance of the University of the Philippines Varsity Pep Squad (UP Pep Squad) easily becomes the highlight of the Cheerdance Competition (CDC) by the eight-school University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), whether it’s because of the team’s consistent podium finish for twenty straight years, or its standout theme and unique costumes.

Studies have shown the many benefits of engaging in sports for young people. Adolescents who participate in sports are more physically fit, have better mental health, tend to do better in school, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior.

World-class Sports Facilities in UP | 10 Athletes and sports enthusiasts are excited to see new facilities slowly shaping up in the University. Among these facilities are the Davao CityUP and UP Diliman sports complexes. With features at par with worldclass standards, they are expected to boost sports not only in the University but in the entire country as well where there is a lack of sports venues available to the public.

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UP (Gets) High on Sports | 2

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UP (Gets) High on Sports

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Lights! Camera! Tumble!

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UPD Waits to Hit the Next Target

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World-class Sports Facilities in UP

Cover photo: The UP Pep Squad singing the “UP Naming Mahal” during the 2017 UAAP Cheerdance Competition.

Photo by Miguel Mondragon.

Back cover photo: UAAP Cheerdance Competition 2011. Photo by UP MPRO

The UP FORUM Roundtable Discussion on Sports 14 The Accidental Runner

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Palaro with a Twist at UPLB 20 Sports in UP Mindanao 22 Going beyond the Summit 24 A Free Clinic for UP Athletes 27

the UP Forum Abraham Q. Arboleda Misael A. Bacani Jonathan M. Madrid

Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr. Editor in Chief

Frances Fatima M. Cabana Art Director

Flora B. Cabangis APRIL-JUNE 2018

Managing Editor

Luis V. Teodoro Copy Editor

Anna Marie Stephanie S. Cabigao Celeste Ann L. Castillo Frederick E. Dabu Jo Florendo B. Lontoc Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo J. Mikhail G. Solitario Writers

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UP Media and Public Relations Office, University of the Philippines System • UP Diliman, Quezon City Trunkline (632) 981-8500 local 2550, 2552, 2549 | E-mail: upforum@up.edu.ph up.edu.ph The UP Forum

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Alicia B. Abear Michael R. Basco Roberto G. Eugenio Tomas M. Maglaya Cristy M. Salvador Administrative Staff

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Students of the UP Rural High School play basketball at their covered court.

Photo from the UPRHS website, http://www.uprhs.com/

The UPIS Pep Squad wins the championship at the Elevate 18: Lift One Another UP Cheerdance Competition held at the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics on May 7, 2018. Photo posted by Maribel Tapel and Anne Mapa in the UPIS Parents Information Board Facebook group page.

UP (Gets) High on Sports Celeste Ann L. Castillo

Research has also shown that people who play high school sports tend to get better jobs with higher salaries later in life. More importantly, sports instills qualities that will enable them to become productive citizens—hard work, self-discipline, commitment, leadership and time management skills, and the so-called “3 Ps”: persistence, patience and practice.

UP is mandated to develop these qualities among its students by undertaking comprehensive sports programs—not just for its college athletes, but for its high school students as well. The UP Integrated School (UPIS) in UP Diliman, the UP Rural High School (UPRHS) in UP Los Baños, the UP High School Iloilo (UPHSI) in the UP Visayas Iloilo City campus, and UP High School Cebu in UP Cebu are the four UP-administered high schools. Each of them developed and maintains various varsity and sports teams, and these teams go on to compete in regional and national competitions. Each knows the value there is in instilling a love of sports, both for its athletes and the institutions.

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The UP High School Iloilo volleyball team, with their coach Prof.

Imelda Catequista. Photo from Imelda Catequista.

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Smells like team spirit The UPIS, the laboratory school of the UP College of Education, has five official varsity teams—basketball, volleyball for boys and girls, swimming, track and field, and table tennis—as well as a Junior Pep Squad. These teams, dubbed the Junior Maroons, compete in the juniors division of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and often bring home the gold, especially in swimming. Other as yet unofficial sports teams include taekwondo, fencing, and a swimming team at the elementary school level, whose members compete in the Palarong Pambansa. UPIS varsity alumni, such as swimmer Priscilla Aquino, Diego Dario and the Gomez-De Liano brothers Javi and Juan of the UP Maroons, basketball players Paolo Mendoza, Samuel Marata, Marvin Cruz, and Joel Tolentino, to name just a few, have gone on to compete in wider fields such as the UAAP, the PBA, and national and international competitions.

The UPRHS has six varsity teams—swimming, football, basketball, volleyball, chess and badminton—plus the table tennis team and the UPRHS Filipina Dance Troupe. According to Prof. Perla Bejerano of the UPRHS, all the varsity teams of UPRHS compete in sports competitions, from the district meet to the unit meet to the provincial meet under the Department of Education. The teams also compete against other high schools within Los Baños in friendly games and sports competitions organized by the UPLB and the local government of Los Baños. In fact, for SY 20172018, two players from the UPRHS football varsity team, Grade 11 student Angelo del Rosario and Grade 10 student Aaron Ramos, advanced to the One Laguna meet, which comes after the provincial meet.

The UPHSI fields several sports teams to compete in city and integrated meets, in the Western Visayas Regional Schools Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet, and the Palarong Pambansa: chess, basketball, arnis, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis, taekwondo poomsae, dance sport, volleyball for both boys and girls, soccer for boys and softball for girls. In 2017, two Grade 10 students, Heather Angelique Parangan and Marc Leo Layson, won the championship during the Western Visayas Regional Athletic

Association (WVRAA) Meet in the Junior Category of the Latin American Dance Sport Competition under the guidance of their coaches, Prof. Imelda Catequista and Prof.

Jessie Labiste, Jr. UPHSI Dance Sport athletes competed again and won in the 2018 Palarong Pambansa DanceSport Competition in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, representing Region 6— Heather Parangan and Carlos Gabriel Sola in Grades C and D Modern Standard, and John Louie Animas and Jasmine Venice Parangan in the Grade E Latin Dance category.

The life of a UP athlete As diverse as these young athletes may be, they do have one thing in common with all UP athletes past and present— the pressure to excel in both sports and academics.

“All varsity players have to undergo a skills test and should not have failing marks to be able to join the varsity team,” said Prof. Bejerano. “When competing, whether locally or internationally, they should be able to make up for all missed requirements, tests etc., no exemptions.”

This is not just because of the rule in athletics associations that athletes must maintain a minimum grade-point average to be allowed to play. The schools themselves hold their athletes to this standard. “For the teachers, if you fail, you fail.

They won’t go easy on you just because you play on a varsity team. Here, the athletes have to work hard on their academics,” said Dr. Lorina Calingasan, principal of the UPIS. To which Prof. Paul Mabaquiao, head of the UPIS Department of Health and Physical Education, adds: “We make it a point to tell them at the orientation that if they enter this program, this is how their life will be from now on: After sports, they hit the books next.”

Winning at sports, winning at life In sports, as in any worthwhile human endeavor, any sacrifice ultimately benefits everyone, especially the athletes. “It’s good for the children’s personal development,” said Prof.

Mabaquiao. “It builds character, teaches discipline, and at the same time you’re molding the children and teaching them about life and how to manage it.” He also cites the sense of fulfillment the children get every time they accomplish something—a routine mastered, a move perfected, a competition won.

On a more pragmatic note, Dr. Calingasan also points out that joining the UP high school varsity team can also be a ticket to gaining admission to UP or any big university.

“It’s always advantageous to students, because you can enter college through the Varsity Athletic Admission System (VAAS). It’s another entry point to UP besides the UPCAT; it gives you another option.”

“Working with these young athletes is kind of an Ilonggo version of sinigang,” Prof. Catequista reflected. “You need to have the proper Ilonggo local ingredients to taste its distinct sour Ilonggo kind of sinigang. At first there was a lot of discouragement involved in putting up a sports team for the UPHSI because of the nature of their curriculum, and how exhausting and demanding it is for the students. But when we started it, the support of the parents was overwhelming and the output of our participation is beyond expectation.

Our athletes fought well and DanceSport is the proof of it.”

Also common for all three schools is the crucial support of the athletes’ parents and the PTA. For the UPRHS and the UPHSI, the budget of the varsity teams for competitions and the honoraria for the coaches come solely from the PTA. For the UPIS, having the support of UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan, who has provided budgets for uniforms for competitions, as well as the College of Human Kinetics which allows the high school teams to train in its facilities, significantly help. However, a great chunk of financial support for the teams still comes from the PTA. Moreover, the parents of athletes often show support in other ways by providing the meals, transportation and equipment needs of the athletes.

UPHSI’s winning dancers, representing Region 6 at Dance Sports (Modern Standard and Latin Dance) during the Paralong Pambansa 2018. Photo from Imelda Catequista.

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APRIL-JUNE 2018

For these athletes, shrewd time management is a must.

“They have no choice but to balance their studies and still have the time for training,” said Prof. Catequista. “But although it is hard sometimes, you can see in them how passionate they are during their training, and I think it is their outlet for all their academic pressures.”

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Photo by Miguel Mondragon.

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Lights!

Camera!

Tumble!

J. Mikhail Solitario

According to UP Pep Squad Head Coach and Assistant Professor Lalaine Pereña of the UP College of Human Kinetics, she usually comes up with the Squad theme after brainstorming with the coaching staff and creative head Juan Carlos Soriano. The initial idea comes from Pereña and is developed by the creative head who then presents the same to the rest of the coaching staff. The inspiration for it varies, sometimes “with just the snap of a finger” and sometimes months after the most recent competition.

The 2015 routine of “Utak Puso” holds a special place in Pereña’s heart. “The whole concept was put together using all our hearts and minds. It was dedicated to all UP athletes who train with all their might for UP Nating Mahal,” the head coach recalled.

In 2007, UP dethroned the reigning champion, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe, with a “rock” theme that then team captain Andrea Gonzales described as unique and gloomy, but in a fun, exciting way as accentuated by the team's matching maroon and black leather outfits. The next year, the Squad donned tribal costumes for the tribo theme, while 2009’s theme featured the life of an Iskolar ng Bayan with familiar images such as bluebooks and the Ikot jeep.

(From top to bottom) The UP Cheering Squad. Photo from Education Through the Physical: The UP SPEAR Story by Celia Bocobo Olivar; The UP Rah Rah Girls. Photo from Education Through the Physical: The UP SPEAR Story by Celia Bocobo Olivar; The UP Pep at the 2010 UAAP Cheerdance Competition: With the fiesta-themed routine, their costumes were adorned by banderitas. Photo by Miguel Mondragon; The UP Pep channeling the ageless influence of Madonna in the 2011 UAAP Cheerdance Competition. Photo by Miguel Mondragon.

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The UP Pep Squad was founded in 1994. It was preceded by an all-male UP Cheering Squad and the UP Rah-Rah Girls. Here is a quick stroll down memory lane with the most recent performances of the UP Pep Squad.

2010 saw the UP Pep Squad as cheerdance champions again, with its fiesta-inspired theme complete with sunflowers, banderitas, and upbeat Filipino music such as “Kapayapaan” by Tropical Depression.

With another head-turning routine featuring bleached hair and the music of Madonna, UP Pep were back-to-back champions in the 2011 CDC. This was effortlessly turned into a three-peat the following year, with shaved heads and an ode to freedom—a value cherished by the entire UP community.

The defending champions settled for runner-up in the 2013 edition of the competition with disco balls in hand and a party theme. The same podium finish was awarded to UP Pep in 2014 when they made a statement on equality with the #PantayPantay routine and reversed roles by having

female members lift the male ones while wearing rainbows on their chests.

The two most recent outings for the UP Pep are 2015’s “Utak Puso” routine which was an ode to UP athletes and 2017’s #KwentongIsko “Maroon Ako Isko” routine as UP’s comeback performance after skipping the CDC in 2016.

The UP Pep Squad has consistently broken barriers and set the standards for creativity in the CDC. The UP community is definitely looking forward to the Pep Squad ng Bayan as it proudly represents the maroon and green on the UAAP stage again.

[The author would like to thank Prof. Lalaine Pereña, Miguel Mondragon, and Rod Ralph Zantua for their assistance in this piece.]

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(Top left) It’s the girls lifting the boys in 2014; (Top right) The 2017 maroon-gold-purple #KwentongIsko costume; (Bottom) The closing heartshaped pyramid while “UP Naming Mahal” blasts in the background. All photos by Miguel Mondragon.

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Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO.

UPD Waits to Hit the Next Target Arlyn VCD Palisoc Romualdo

UP’s relationship with archery is a story of hits and misses.

And while that relationship ended for UP Diliman (UPD) eight years ago, no one has so far said it can’t be rekindled.

The first mention of archery as a physical education (PE) course and sport can be found in the University’s General Catalogue 1929-1930, under the PE Department in the Manila campus. It was one of ten PE courses female juniors and seniors could take if they didn’t have deficiencies in prior PE courses.

Fast forward to 1967 when it made a comeback, albeit with limited accessibility. Archery and golf were the individual sports in an elective course in the training program leading to a certificate in PE. It was administered by the Institute of PE, which had just been established in the PE Department.

It was to serve as a research and training center to upgrade the skills of teachers and coaches in the public and private schools.

Archery in PE Soon after, archery disappeared from the General Catalogue.

It was no longer listed in the 1932-1933 edition, although it could have been removed earlier.

An undated photo of an archery class in UP. Photo from Education Through the Physical: The UP SPEAR Story by Celia Bocobo Olivar.

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Back then, PE classes weren’t coed. Males and females had separate PE requirements and choices. But all UP students had to take four PE courses, with the first two being required. Participation in competitive sports including archery by upperclassmen as members of the intercollegiate, intramural, and/or varsity teams could also be “substituted for course work, provided that attendance [was] at least three times a week.”

In 1976, the department was elevated by the Board of Regents to a degree-granting unit and was renamed the Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (SPEAR). Archery made its way back to the UP general education curriculum, just like in 1929. And this time, you didn’t have to be a female junior or senior to take it.

Archery as a varsity sport

More than three decades later, in the second semester of Academic Year 2009-2010, UPD offered the PE class in archery for the last time.

The CHK Varsity Office no longer has records on archery.

Its history as a varsity sport in UPD can only be gleaned from a few publications, some records in the University Archives, and the recollections of UP personnel.

“It had to be shelved because we couldn’t sustain it. Archery equipment is expensive and the maintenance of the Archery Range was also quite challenging,” explains College of Human Kinetics (CHK) Dean Ronualdo Dizer.

The range was, at one point, even chosen by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to be the competition venue for the Southeast Asian Games. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out and the 1991 games were never held in Diliman.

But the PSC and UPD came to an agreement that same year allowing the Philippine team to use the range for training.

The last record of this agreement appears in the July-September 2004 issue of the UP Gazette. The BOR confirmed the extension of the contract on the National Archery Team’s use of the range until March 30, 2005. By 2011, the national team was reportedly training somewhere else. “It’s like we took back ‘ownership’ of the Archery Range,” said Dizer.

From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, archery was a UPD varsity sport. That period covers the time SPEAR came to be until the UP Gym’s transfer to its present location from the Law Complex.

“I’m not sure what happened to our records when we transferred offices in 1984,” Josie Querimit says. She’s been with the Varsity Office since 1978. “We don’t have any documents on varsity archery here now.”

In Education through the Physical: The UP SPEAR Story, former Dean Celia Bocobo Olivar lists post-war “Sweater” awardees, where archers were recognized from 1977 to 1980. One of them was Jocelyn Guerrero, who competed in the 1977 SEA Games, archery’s first outing in the said event. She was celebrated as the country’s top female archer at the time, winning four gold medals and two bronzes.

She finished the SEA Games as number one in the women’s division. The other Sweater awardees for archery were her siblings, Marinella, Margarita, and Arturo, along with Fermin Barrenechea.

In December 1982, then UP President Edgardo Angara wrote a letter to UP archery coach and father to the Guerrero archers, Arte Guerrero, congratulating him and the UPD men’s and women’s teams for their victory in the recently concluded national championships.

Earlier that year, Angara had even written to then Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, informing him that in the last five years, UP “won three [University Athletic Association of the Philippines] general championships, including national and intercollegiate titles.” In his list of exemplary performances, only archery, baseball, and track and field won titles every year in that five-year period.

Querimit says it wasn’t long before the UPD archery varsity team ceased to exist. “Right around the time we transferred to this gym or maybe a little time before that, we didn’t have a coach anymore. The former varsity archers just focused on being members of the national team.”

Up in the air

UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics Dean Ronualdo Dizer. Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO. APRIL-JUNE 2018

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Dizer can’t say for sure if archery is in UPD’s future, but he’s not discounting the possibility of a return—whether as a PE course, a varsity sport, or both. “If CHK had the funds to buy new equipment and the resources to sustain training, teaching, and groundskeeping, then maybe we can have archery again. It’s a sport that Filipinos can really excel in and could possibly bring us the Olympic gold.” He adds

that there were proposals to include archery in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Right now, the Archery Range serves as a venue for outdoor PE classes. There are some people, he says, who have asked to use it for personal archery training and basic introductory lessons for children, and that they would shoulder the expense of having the grounds cleared using tractors and heavy equipment.

“I told them that if we allowed them to do that, it would only be temporary because that area is part of the Sports Complex that UP is developing according to the CHK Land Use Plan. They could only use the range on weekends or on weekdays when there are no PE classes. Our classes are still the priority.”

He also reveals that a former UP student has proposed to put up a 3,000-seater multipurpose airconditioned arena in the area, which he says it can easily accommodate. It could potentially be a fitting addition to the UPD Sports Complex, where developments are currently underway for a football field, track oval, grandstand, and swimming pool—all intended to be at par with international standards. It doesn’t mean though that the archery range will no longer exist. It is included in CHK’s plans for the Complex, but will probably be relocated.

Dizer is confident that the University leadership will make decisions with the best interest of CHK in mind. CHK, and largely, UPD, seem poised and ready to take aim and hit the next bullseye, whenever that target may be placed and whatever it may be.

The 9th ADMU-DLSU-UP Tri Meet in September 2017. Photo from the UP Archery Club.

ARCHERY TRIVIA FROM ACROSS THE UP SYSYTEM

• UP Los Baños (UPLB) formed its varsity archery team in 2013 and it last competed in the ADMU-DLSU-UP Tri Meet in September 2017. The team is led by Coach April Iris Ladia, a UPLB alumna and former varsity athlete, who,

prior to transferring to UPLB, was a varsity athlete of UP Baguio (UPB). UPLB stopped offering archery as a PE course around 5 years ago and has been unable to bring it back because of the lack of instructors.

• Archery is listed in “Elective Physical Education Activities for Beginners” in the 2013 UP Visayas Catalogue of Academic Programs. Unfortunately, the PE department says there were no takers.

• While UP Mindanao doesn’t offer archery, it did have a special PE session on Matigsalog Indigenous Peoples Games in 2014, which included a local form of archery. Bows and arrows made of bamboo were used to hit targets made of rolled rattan representing wild animals.

• Like UPLB, UPB stopped offering archery in PE because of manpower challenges. There’s currently no faculty member to teach the course and UPB resorted to hiring a lecturer in the past to sustain the class. Academic Year

2013-2014 was the last time archery was available. The UPB Archery Team still exists though it currently doesn’t have a coach. Their last competition as a team was the 2015-2016 Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL).

Two of its members also competed in the 2017 State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association National Games. The team brought home the gold during the 1995 Palarong Pambansa and won the BBEAL championships in 1996-1997, 1997-1998, and 1998-1999 seasons.

• There is a UP Archery Club. Founded in 2006 and registered in UPLB ten years later, the Club describes its members as “archers from different campuses bound by one university.” The Club, joined by the UPLB Archery Team, competed in the ADMU-DLSU-UP Tri Meet in September 2017.

• UP Manila, UP Open University, and UP Cebu don’t have PE courses nor varsity teams in archery.

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• UP Diliman alumna Ma. Amaya Amparo Paz-Cojuangco is a member of the national team. Her breakout year was 2005 when, at 19 years old, she won all the individual events in the women’s compound bow category in the 1st Asian Archery Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand and got two more gold medals in the team events. In addition to her four golds, she broke three national records in double 70 (675 points), 12 arrows (116 points), and 36 arrows (337 points). Just weeks after turning 20, she won the women’s compound events in the Southeast Asian Games. By the end of 2005, “Bulls Aya” ranked 39th in the world. As of this writing, her last gold medal was in the mixed team compound category of the Asia Cup earlier this year.

World-class Sports Facilities in UP Jo. Lontoc

Athletes and sports enthusiasts are excited to see new facilities slowly shaping up in the University. Among these facilities are the Davao City-UP and UP Diliman sports complexes. With features at par with world-class standards, they are expected to boost sports not only in the University but in the entire country as well where there is a lack of sports venues available to the public.

First to be constructed for the UP Diliman Sports Complex is the football stadium. Several tons of dirt were hauled to the site to raise, level, and compact the grounds. An intricate drainage system was then constructed for the facility.

The artificial turf for the football field has passed rigorous certification by FIFA. Soon to rise are outdoor lighting and the grandstand.

The facility is expected to boost the performance of the UP men’s varsity football team, which is a perennial champion in the UAAP. The women’s team struck gold in Season 78.

Government-funded, an all-weather track oval and a bigger grandstand will be constructed alongside the field.

The grounds near the old UP Gymnasium are being prepared for the construction of the new UP Diliman Swimming Pool and Stadium, which is expected to be finished

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(Top photo)The Davao City-UP Sports Complex as planned, where Structure 1 is the Football and Track Stadium, and Structure 2 is the Training Gym. Photo by Jonathan Madrid, UP MPRO; (Bottom left) A miniature rendering of the plan for the Davao City-UP Sports Complex Training Gym. Photo by Jonathan Madrid, UP MPRO; (Bottom center and right) The Davao City-UP Sports Complex Training Gym, which is now being used by UP Mindanao PE classes. Photo by UPMin CPDO.

Construction of the UP Diliman Sports Complex football field is nearing completion with the application of artificial turf. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

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Plan for the UP Diliman Sports Complex Swimming Pool and Stadium as it appears on the project tarp. Photo by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

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next year. The only other swimming pool in Quezon City to approximate Olympic size is largely unmaintained, located at the Amoranto Sports Complex.

After the swimming pool, the softball field will be constructed in the area in front of the UP Vanguard Building near the Ylanan entrance.

In the Davao City-UP Sports Complex, the training gym and the multipurpose building for the football field and track oval are almost complete. With the hope of hosting international competitions, the football field and track oval are currently being prepared for the installation of FIFAtested and certified artificial turf and an IAAF-certified synthetic track oval.

Plans for the UP Diliman Sports Complex Football Stadium to replace the old grandstand. Photos by Bong Arboleda, UP MPRO.

Next in line are the Aquatics Center, featuring an Olympicsized swimming pool, warm-up/warm-down pool, a diving pool, and spaces required by the Fédération Internationale de Natation.

Hopefully, they will all be ready for Davao City’s hosting of the Palarong Pambansa, or the Department of Education’s youth games and the Davao Regional Athletics Association games next year.

Architectural rendering of the Davao City-UP Sports Complex Aquatic Center as it appears on the project tarp. Photo by Misael Bacani, UP MPRO.

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The Davao City-UP Sports Complex Football Stadium’s Multipurpose Building nears completion. Photo by UPMin CPDO.

In 2015, UP and Davao City signed an agreement in which UP Mindanao provided a 20-hectare site for the complex, while the City of Davao would construct facilities at par with international standards.

THE UP FORUM ROUNDTAB What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

Teodoro J. Herbosa, MD Executive Vice President UP System

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

My most memorable PE subject was swimming. I learned I was quite good at it. All throughout my high school days, I had poor eye-hand coordination (table tennis, badminton) and was very poor at team sports (volleyball, basketball). But in swimming, neither was required. All I needed was to be comfortable in the water and make it to several laps. It was an excellent full body workout for my wiry frame and improved my lung capacity.

My most memorable PE subject was badminton. I was a member of the UP Varsity Track Team competing in 110-m high hurdles and 400-m low hurdles. I didn’t have to take PE yet, but we were encouraged by my coach to take other PE subjects to cross-train. I decided to take badminton because of the pretty girls, one of whom was my crush. The PE teacher was surprised because I was the only male student in the class. Of course he humiliated me and made me sweat and run by playing with me in front of my lady classmates! I was humiliated in front of What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

I still swim regularly (once or twice week) although not as often and I’m a bit slower now. I used to do kendo until I became regent and had to miss weeks of practices.

When I decided to return to practice last year, I had frozen shoulders so I had to rest from kendo again and actually change bags to relieve the stress from both shoulders. In order to improve my eyehand coordination, I played badminton for 10 years while I was doing my PhD in Japan (during lunch time) and in the US (in the evenings). I try to squeeze in

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

Fernando P. Florendo APRIL-JUNE 2018

Coordinator, Human Kinetics Program UP Baguio

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I have two memorable PE subjects: PE 1 Foundations of Physical Fitness since it deals with all the basics of fitness including exercise physiology, health, and wellness. The other is PE 2 Swimming, a required course for BS Biology students, which is the most difficult and risky PE 2 course to teach since extra precautions are very much needed compared to the other PE 2 courses. The teacher and students would travel for an hour going to, and an hour and a half coming from, the venue which passes through steep roads.

my crush but got my cross-training and realized how real badminton was actually very strenuous.

What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

I was active in high school in Modern Arnis and was one of the prime students of Remy Presas, the father of Modern Arnis in the Philippines. I also studied Shotokan Karate and Choy Lai Fut Kung Fu. I was a member of the high school track and field team competing in 110-m high hurdles, 400-m low hurdles and 4x400-m relay. I was also the chess chamsome badminton practice in Iloilo as long as the gym has wooden floors. I also bike regularly because I got used to riding my bicycle in Japan and the US. Lastly, I try to walk at least 2 kilometers a day. In UPV Miag-ao campus, I seldom ride the tricycle because I walk from CAS to the faculty staff house every day, up rolling hills.

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

I think kendo and other martial arts (taekwondo, karate do, judo, etc.) should

What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

I am currently active in playing sports such as table tennis in which I used to compete both nationally and internationally, in basketball and volleyball as an intrams player, in petanque, and swimming as a form of recreation. I also do Zumba and Strong Zumba since it is a required fitness activity for employees.

BLE DISCUSSION ON SPORTS pion of my high school and competed in the first National Students Chess Championship. In undergraduate school in UP Diliman, I was invited to join the varsity track team competing in the same events.

I also joined the first Swing competition in the Philippines. In medical school, I indulged in running along Roxas Blvd and also cycling and swimming. During residency in Surgery, I join AAK Karatedo and eventually also competed. These days, I now just walk around the UP Academic oval for exercise and occasionally swim as well.

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

be added. Especially as a PE choice in other campuses. These expose students to different cultural contexts and build their appreciation of these sports.

program office, etc.). As a physician by training, I fully support the initiatives of PGH and its director to help in the medical needs of the athletes. Lastly, private support for the athletes should be better coordinated.

What do you think it will take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

With hard work, discipline and good coaching, we can definitely become overall UAAP champions again. This also requires investments in our sports teams, facilities, equipment, and coaching staff.

The UAAP has always been a challenge for UP. My UP College of Medicine classmates have children who now play for UP so I frequently hear feedback from them.

I believe more resources should be given to the athletes and as regent under the Pascual administration, I know the BOR fully supported his initiatives (building the sports facilities, establishing a sports

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

UP should promote individual sports (badminton, table tennis, petanque, etc.) as well as dance sports (ballroom, cheer, street, etc.) in which UP is already excelling, but which are not as popular as the ball games (basketball, volleyball and football). UP should also promote leisure activities (outdoor recreation, orienteering, bird watching, nature walks, etc.) which enhance awareness of and concern for the environment.

Philip Ian P. Padilla, MD, PhD Professor of Microbiology Former UP Faculty Regent UP Visayas

What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

UP should at least equal if not surpass the other UAAP schools’ offerings. However, to begin with, it is better said than done since it is the only public school in the UAAP. Funding is limited by COA rules unlike in the private schools. Only strong support from the alumni or private institutions could offset this disadvantage, although it could be said that UP is UP where quality education is second to none. It still cannot be helped that poor but gifted athletes become practical what with the present economic realities. Some UAAP schools offer much more than just

scholarships—uniforms, housing, allowances, and the like. For instance, Hans Sy was quoted in a news article that NU even provides employment to the athlete’s parents through SM. How can we beat that? Perhaps another move would be to ban imports to put all the teams on an equal footing.

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What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

I suggest other sports that are popular with the current generation as well as other Olympic sports.

(Among the significant contributions of EVP Ted Herbosa to Philippine Sports Medicine are his stints as an officer of the Sports Medicine Association of the Philippines in the early 1990s; medical director of the Philippine Sports Commission in the late 1990s; medical director of the World Union of Karatedo Organizations in the early 1990s; and team doctor of the Philippine Team to the 1995 SEA Games in Jakarta and the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1997.)

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

Judo, because it was where I was able to grow and develop into a varsity athlete. I learned the fundamentals and techniques of the sport not only through rigorous training, but also through an honest-to-goodness study of literature on the martial arts.

What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

I play multiple sports such as judo, powerlifting, basketball, athletics, running, breakdancing, swimming, volleyball, badminton, ballroom dancing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and various martial arts, among others. I like

Robby Lagmay Solis

BS Economics 2008 UP Diliman Consultant, House of Representatives

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

My most memorable PE subject was my first PE, folk dance under Ma’am Dioquino.

Folk dance requires dancing in pairs, but back then, my blockmates and I were not yet close friends and we were still shy, so dancing was awkward! Towards the end, it became group dances. I remember the girls were practicing Pandanggo sa Ilaw where we would put a glassful of water on top of our heads while changing from standing to lying on our bellies to rolling to the left and right.

Imagine, there was spilled water everywhere! The boys were busy perfecting their

Katherine Adrielle R. Bersola BS Sports Science 2017 UP Diliman First Year Student, College of Medicine UP Manila

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

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It was PE 2 (wrestling) in UP Diliman in 2006. It was memorable for me because of its novelty. Our professor, Prof. Norberto Madrigal, was very well-versed in the sport, and his method of teaching was not only accommodating but was also patient. The class in itself, to me, was not just practical in engaging you physically and strategically; it also planted seeds for a budding competitive sport.

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hand-and-body coordination for Maglalatik, which was no joke! The dancers should have timing and grace. Our final exam was an intermission number for the annual dance recital where all PE dance classes showcased their moves and were up for winning in their categories. We had a great time, and guess what? After our performance, we had to clean up.

Not only is it good for the heart and the lungs, but it also exercises your whole-body coordination minus the feel of sweating!

Volleyball, on the other hand, emphasizes team effort and camaraderie. Everyone is an essential player and everyone must move to gain a point. Win or lose, it’s the friends you make at the end of the game and the skills to improve on for the next game that matter.

What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

I like swimming and volleyball. Swimming relaxes my mind, just me and the water.

UP should promote dancing! In UP Manila, folk dance, social dance, street dance,

What was your most memorable PE subject and why?

ing program. I believe it was a very practical class which I could truly apply in life and in my sport.

Being a varsity athlete in the university, I did not have to take PE classes. However, we were required to take electives in my course, sports science. The most memorable one for me was basic weight training because I learned all about the different exercises that can be done in resistance training or in the gym, what muscles they target, how to do them properly, how to teach the exercises to others, and how to plan out a weight trainWhat sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

At present, I am an assistant professor in the Department of Human Kinetics (DHK), CAS, UPLB. I teach football, futsal, weight training, and chess as HK12 activities (formerly known as PE 2). I also coach the UPLB Football Team. Other than the aforementioned activities, I also engage in various sports and forms of leisure, like tenpin bowling, e-sports, darts, and camping, to name a few.

What sports, games, or physical activity do you engage in? What about it do you like the most?

I engage in a lot of sports and physical activity, but those I really trained for and usually play are volleyball, basketball, taekwondo, and weight training. My favorite thing about these What I like most about sports is its ability to cultivate character, culture, camaraderie, and long-lasting friendships. Sports for recreation is also intrinsically fun, educational, and competitive.

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

I believe that UP should be spearheading the promotion of all sports, and also, sports for all. For instance, the DHK will soon be offering a new HK12 activity, billiards. The department is also preparing to offer other

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

staples in the list of PE subjects. This is because our country is so rich in its culture that we have a variety of games to choose from. As to self-defense, I believe that UP students need to be equipped with techniques to defend themselves should the need arises.

I definitely believe that UP should promote Philippine games and basic self-defense as

hip-hop, jazz, etc. are offered. During finals, a recital is hosted by the Department of Physical Education to showcase the talents of students through a friendly competition.

After that, it’s DPE’s turn to showcase the faculty’s talents by showing us contemporary moves and the students are in awe, cheering for their professors. Although UP has representatives in street dance and cheer dance competitions, I think its dance classes should still be promoted.

What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

activities is the way I get to improve myself, not only physically, but in all aspects of life, while having fun and developing relationships with others. There is so much development, values, and life lessons gained when participating in sports.

athletes deserve the support and this can be a good way for the students to develop interest in different activities. For PE, I believe weight training should be promoted because of the current gym culture, especially in the youth. Also, it is practical, low-risk with the proper guidance, and accessible.

Aside from basketball, volleyball, and football, what other sports or PE subjects do you think should UP offer or promote?

I know the athletes of the university are training hard, giving their all and doing their best in their respective sports to bring home the bacon and pride to UP. Aside from more training times, I guess moral support and cheers from our fellow iskos and iskas might go a long long way for our athletes. Let’s keep the fires of our athletes burning as we cheer “U-ni-bersidad ng Pilipinas!” as they go and fight to represent our university!

What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

For sports and the UAAP, I think all the events should be promoted because all the

I think greater support, in all types, coming from the school will go a long way for all the

new activities such as darts, sports climbing, and Ultimate Frisbee in the near future.

Here in UPLB, we have thriving teams, such as swimming and athletics, which do not receive the same attention as the “bigger” sports—volleyball, basketball, and football.

do Dizer. The CHK and UP Diliman are in the process of building new facilities, such as an artificial-turf football field and a modern track and field area, that will help not only in the training of our current pool of athletes, but also in attracting elite coaches and high school sportsmen to enlist in the University. The same can be said for us here in UPLB. Besides a new baseball field, we now also have new tennis courts and weight training equipment. Plans for the improvement of our sports complex are also in the works, if not already in effect.

What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

As a graduate of Sports Science and with an MS in Human Movement Science at the College of Human Kinetics (CHK) in UP Diliman, I know that this is currently being addressed and acted upon by Dean Ronual-

What do you think will it take for UP to become UAAP overall champion again?

When it comes to talent, UP has an abundance of it. While there have been initiatives to support our varsity teams, there should be consistency with respect to training for the UAAP games. With the right mix of talents, support, discipline, and guidance from the Lord, UP will go back to its winning tradition.

Pilar Ma. Celine P. Mesina

BS Industrial Pharmacy College of Pharmacy UP Manila

teams. Better facilities and equipment that will be available to all the teams, better recruitment programs for all sports because we all know how competitive the other schools are in the recruitment wars, I could go on and on about the problems the teams face.

The world of sports is multifactorial and competitive teams need a lot, but I know that the heart and hunger to win is present in all our players. We just need a little help and inspiration.

Percival Balite

Assistant Professor 1 Department of Human Kinetics College of Arts and Sciences UP Los Baños

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cross-training in various sports because I get to adapt to different movements. Also, crosstraining keeps me mentally alert, hence the saying “a sound mind in a sound body.”

The Accidental Runner Mary Lyncen M. Fernandez

The current Chair of the UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Committee, Mary Lyncen M. Fernandez, is a staunch advocate of health, fitness and wellness.

“Six years ago, my blood chemistry was going through the roof. A doctor told me that I needed to take maintenance to control my blood sugar, uric acid, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. I was a short, fat, middle-aged woman who weighed more than 80 kilos. I called myself ang babaeng walang leeg (the woman with no neck).”

Mary Lyncen says that was her wake-up call. She bargained with the doctor to give her three months to change her diet and vowed to undergo a regular exercise routine.

“My Lola died of a stroke in the shower. It was more than an hour before we found her body. My own mother had a stroke in her middle age. The fifth one left her paralyzed for nine years before she died. These two things flashed in my mind in the doctor’s office while listening to her talk about Lipitor, and Losartan.”

She says that she was fortunate to live inside the UP Visayas Miag-ao campus with its undulating roads that feature many uphill and downhill slopes. She started walking around and about the campus, which is also thickly populated by trees.

“Starting was the toughest part, maintaining it even more so. I remember the first time I tried to run up the road which I dubbed the Diwata Road because that is where the Diwata ng Dagat sculpture by National Artist Napoleon Abueva sits. It was the steepest hill inside the campus and I thought I would die after just a few meters. But the feeling of exhilaration stayed with me. It was awesome to have wings on your feet even for just a few seconds.”

During the 40th National Milo Marathon Finals, December 2016.

Being the researcher that she is, she started to read extensively on how to become a runner. If she was going to be one, she said she might as well do it right.

“I remember my first fun-run, a 3K event in July 2010. I kept my head down for fear of seeing the snickers of people in seeing this fat, middle-aged woman hobble towards the finish line. What was running in my mind was that I would probably be the last to cross the finish line.”

Since then, she has signed up for other fun runs and the 3K progressed to 5K and 10K with some trail running thrown in. On December 2013, she crossed the finish line of her first half-marathon, a 21K run. After some setbacks, one of which was an operation to remove her gallbladder, she did her first full marathon this year in February at the age of 50.

“After I crossed the finish line and somebody put that 42K finisher’s medal on my neck, I wept on my husband’s shoulders. He was waiting for me at the finish line. All those years of running and self-training, waking up at 3:00

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Trail Run, July 2017.

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She adds, “How I wish I had started in this wonderful journey of health and fitness much, much sooner. I had to have my gall bladder removed because gallstones the size of corn kernels had formed there. This was brought about by years of abusive eating, particularly of salty and oily food.”

Mary Lyncen says that she is committed to pursuing this lifestyle of health and wellness for the rest of her life. She said that she does not diet but has changed the way she eats, such as giving up sugary drinks and junk food, and trying to eat as much fruit and vegetables as she can every day.

“I am stronger in mind and body now that I am 50 years old than when I was in my 30s and 40s. Running has completely changed my life. It has made me strong physically and mentally. I am always at peace with myself and the universe every time I run. Running has given me so much joy and peace and energy. It has given me good health. For the past six years, my blood chemistry results have been excellent. I take no maintenance medication, so far. One of running’s greatest surprises is that you get more energetic after a run.”

She says that “That is why I keep urging my fellow office

workers, who are strapped into their chairs eight hours a day, five days a week, to engage in this life of health and wellness. I want us to be healthy in mind and body and be more productive at work and still have the energy for family stuff.

Along with her fellow UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness committee members, she has been urging the UPV community to get into this new lifestyle. They have come up with a year-long program that consists of a combination of physical activities and information drives through lectures.

A year-long, weekly Zumba for Miag-ao and Iloilo city campuses employees has been put in place to encourage office workers to take a break from eight hours of sitting.

Lectures on depression, nutrition, menopause and andropause, strength training, and a Palarong Pang-empleyado and year-end Zumba Run have been lined up for 2018.

“It’s my hope and wish that all members of the UPV community would be fit and healthy long after we have retired from the University. So that we can still be active and productive and not spend our retirement money in hospitals and on maintenance drugs,” Mary Lyncen says.

The other members of the UPV Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Committee include Prof. Catherine B. Anecita, Prof. Brenda Lynn B. Arroyo, Prof. Cristituto S. Rogador, and Ms. Mybelle G. Zulueta, all from the PE Department, Ms. Teresa S. Hortillo from the Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Marchette S. Noble from the Health Services Unit, Ms. Maureen Kay C. Ongo from the Cash Office, and Ms. Melinda C. Sasana, Dorm Manager.

(Top left) Run UP4, July 2014; (Bottom left) UPV folks at CSC Fun Run, with VCA Gumban, March 2012; (Right) At the finish line of Fernandez’s first 42K, Feb. 18, 2018.

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am to run for three to four hours, running alone, doubting myself, lacing up my running shoes even when I didn’t feel like it, sidelined by sickness and injuries—these flashed through my mind. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be a marathoner. I had never been athletic.

Women were not encouraged to go into sports during my time. What is even more astounding is that only 1% of the world’s population has run marathons.”

Palaro with a Twist at UPLB Kristine E. Araguas

UPLB staff and students look forward to the yearly Palarong UPLB, not only because it provides relief from the humdrum of life in academe, but also because a new flavor is added to it each year, courtesy of the sponsoring college.

In one year, a Defense of the Ancient (DOTA) game, a computer-assisted online game, was added to the regular lineup of games to entice players who are online gamers. This was when the College of Engineering and AgroIndustrial Technology was its host. In another year, the College of Arts and Sciences featured their own version of the Amazing Race, requiring participants to run a course, jump from the swimming pool high board, and take a jeepney route.

When it was the turn of the College of Agriculture and Food Science to host the Palaro, the College introduced an “agri-game� in which players were required to lift sacks, go through an obstacle course, perform farming activities, and pass the mini-rodeo challenge, while the College of Development Communication introduced parlor games similar to that in a game show.

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In this year’s Palaro last March, the College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) customized its own Amazing Race course with a challenge 20

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of cooking an egg by fire from wood or sticks without using matches.

But this is just part of the fun because there are a lot more games that are featured each year, such as basketball, volleyball, swimming, team-building events such as plank walk, tug of war, sack race, as well as board games like chess and scrabble. There is also a cheer-dance competition and a Ms. Palaro competition.

Palarong UPLB has been around for more than ten years now. It started with the students' being integrated into the teams where their college belongs, but now, the students compete in their own category with their co-students from other colleges.

Palarong UPLB builds camaraderie and friendship, as well as helps the staff and students cope with stress, while encouraging a holistic lifestyle of winning and losing in which no one is loses.

Teams are assigned per college, but some smaller colleges are merged with the others. The administrative and executive offices also compose another team. UPLB Varsity team members, with their strong sports background, are allowed to participate for as long as they play for their respective colleges.

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Constituents of UPLB demonstrate their athletic prowess in events like the 100-meter dash during the annual sports festival called “Palarong UPLB.” Palaro aims to promote camaraderie and unity among the faculty, staff, and students through friendly sports competition.

The 2018 edition, “Kalakasan, Kalikasan, Kalusugan,” was hosted by the College of Forestry and Natural Resources. Text by Jessa Jael S. Arana; photo by Christopher V. Labe.

Sports in UP Mindanao Volleyball is my favorite sport. It is the reason I became a varsity player in school.

I also play basketball, softball, and football.

I also like dance, specifically social dance, because it enhances flexibility and skills.

Participation is by twos, such as in chacha or tango, and this creates a connection between the partners and it is fun. Also there is appreciation of history in dance.

It would be good if we promoted individual and dual sports such as chess, swimming, badminton, and table tennis.

It’s good that we now have swimming.

It would be better if we have martial arts so we add variety to the choices available for students. I have encountered students involved in martial arts and teaching it would be an appropriate springboard for those students.

Regarding the UAAP and winning it, we need to focus on scouting. We need more developed scouting procedures. The UP System should scout the different constituent universities.

orientation and background on what UP can offer.

Aside from scouting in different CUs, we should scout outside UP because other universities get the best athletes because of the benefits they offer.

Even within UPMin we need to scout for athletes. In UP we're really lucky if we get good players such as Juan Antonio Mendoza (BS Agribusiness Economics), our champion swimmer. We're lucky because it’s an individual sport, which has its advantages.

Winning in team sports presents more difficulties. We may have Ms. Consuegra and Ms. Escamilla, two Palaro-level players, but we need four more players to complete a winning team. So we need more scouting, more orientation outside about UP, and we need to provide information about our existing and active varsity programs for them to aspire for.

In our NSTP field classes, we scout for athletes because this is the grassroots, and participants come from junior high and elementary schools. They are given an

We are happy because we had the summer invitational women’s volleyball games last month (April), in which six teams of which five were junior high school students, participated. We declared that our objective is to promote UP and that you are very welcome to take UPCAT and

I am not a master of a single sport. I play basketball, volleyball, and table tennis. I like them all.

other courses, we learned the principles of coaching, how athletes are trained before and after games.

In our Diploma in Exercise and Sports Science program, my favorite course is anatomy and physiology, the muscle, the bones, the inner and outer parts and divisions of the body, the musculo-skeletal system.

In Tagum City we observed the Azkals football team. Before the game, when the stadium was still empty, a cheering crowd set up drums and painted their faces, led by a choreographer. The cheering squad was very enthusiastic before and after the games; everyone was very energetic in cheering.

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We assembled a real skeleton we borrowed from the biology department—the carpals, the skull, all the parts. We prayed before handling the bones. It’s interactive. I was assigned to assemble the upper arm and identify if it was the left or right and the sex of the subject; to discover the form of the skull and many more. In

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be part of our teams in the near future.

We also had an invitational table tennis tournament in May. We need a committee for scouting so we can search for and discover good players.

Two years ago we had a summer clinic in Assumption College in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley Province where we taught table tennis, football, and volleyball.

Our students are also good in cheer-dance and we are proud of the initiative of the Department of Human Kinetics in having a gymnastic workshop to prepare them for the annual cheer-dance competition.

Many of our students have potential in cheer-dance and their efforts are very commendable.

Jezreel M. Abarca

Instructor, Department of Human Kinetics UP Mindanao

forebears, their practices that have become games today. Bows and arrows and spears have become games but in history these were for hunting snakes and animals. This has value because it preserves our culture and it’s also enjoyable.

Other topics in our program nclude sports management, sports testing, and observing the conduct of games or events.

We should promote indigenous games and Filipino games, such as sia-tong and others. Indigenous games are from our

Magno “Magz” Batomalaque Staff, Department of Human Kinetics Student, Diploma in Exercise and Sports Science UP Mindanao

I advocate sports for environmental protection, such as the extreme sport akin to Frisbee, or skin-diving, also known as snorkeling. It is not a sport but a leisure activity. It is safer, accessible to everyone, and you can do coastal clean-up or coral maintenance, or fish identification. We practice “look but no touch,” except for garbage in the waters. Scuba, on the other hand, is sports diving.

We should promote sports for the environment in our programs, such as camping, although it's more focused on survival training. These can promote the protection and sustainability of the environment.

Now that we have a sports complex being built, we should have more programs for human kinetics such as an undergraduate program in sports. In scouting and recruitment, other schools have certain advantages in that they have primary and

I am the president of the Davao-South Regional Football Association (DRFA), one of the 33 Regional Football Associations in the country.

Regional Football Association presidents are members of the Philippine Football Federation Congress. I was elected to the Board of Governors (equivalent to Executive Council/Committee) from 2015 to 2019. I chair the Organizing Committee for PFF Competitions and I'm a member of the Referees Committee and Futsal Committee.

The BOG is the policy making body of the PFF. It sets the directions and thrusts in developing, promoting and controlling the sport. These include determining what age group tournaments the country will field, including the men’s and women’s national teams; hosting of tournaments (like the SEA Games & Suzuki Cup) and courses; and the implementation of the Players ID system, among others.

secondary schools from which they hone their students until college. Some promising athletes choose a college that is an underdog school, where they can make a difference in pulling up that school.

In our region, there are many individuals who are teaching or coaching sports by experience, but they have no foundation, something which they need.

We need an undergraduate program because those who will teach sports programs need a proper foundation if we want to improve the performance of our athletes. We cannot beat the offers by other schools. We need an alternative system to overcome these disadvantages. Athletes go to Manila because regional athletes do not have the same level of opportunity in terms of challenges and competition and in benefits. We need more regular tournaments, preferably those that are broadcast on television or can be seen widely, so there will be motivation for local athletes to stay in the region.

The grassroots sports program during childhood is important in providing children exposure to different sports. It is going on in our football or in our NSTP

I am on the Board of Directors of the Liga Futbol Inc., the organizer Philippines Football League—the professional football league in the Philippines. The participating teams are Davao Aguilas FC, Global-Cebu FC, Kaya FC- Iloilo; JPV Marika FC, Ceres–Negros FC, and Laguna–Stallions FC. Our thrusts for Davao City include: 1. Strengthening the grassroots program (ages 6 – 14 years old) in competitions (for elite & non-elite players).

Implementation of 9-a-side format for 12 years old and above, which is usually in 7-a-side; establishment of a Football Academy for elite players; and, extending and hosting the agegroup competitions in the Sports Complex; 2. Coaching development (holding the Philippine Youth Coaching License—the initial entry to formal coaching education and the AFC “C” License Course—which is for

program where we have chess clinics and tournaments in schools. With regular scouting programs within our student population we are limited to identifying latent potential among the existing student population. If we have a Varsity Admission System we can get athletes who are already good in their sport or in dance.

We'd like to have an undergraduate degree in sports so varsity recruits can have an advantage in that upon graduation they will have a future in their career beyond being a player, such as being a coach, teacher, or administrator. In addition, we will be able to add to the public service of the university, to contribute to social equity by distributing equal opportunity to the different disciplines at par with arts and sciences.

Armando R. Salazar

Assistant Professor, Department of Human Kinetics UP Mindanao

grassroots coaches); UP Mindanao is scheduled to host the AFC “C” License Course on July 19-30, 2018; 3. Upgrading the status of referees by hosting Level II and refresher courses; and 4. Hosting games in the Philippines Football League or the men’s national team; the 2019 Festival of Football; bidding for the National Youth Futsal Invitational; and futsal tournaments for college and high school teams.

Erwin E. Protacio

Chair, Department of Human Kinetics UP Mindanao

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My favorite sport is badminton. Since the elementary grades I've played badminton with my friends. In college I had a good teacher, so I enjoyed badminton because the sport can be fast, slow, or low-arcing, and there are strategies involved.

Going beyond the Summit Stephanie S. Cabigao

UPM members were ready to take the ascent going to the Saulay campsite in Mt. Sicapoo. Photo

by Joyce Belle Dinglasan.

“Life begins kapag hindi ka na nag-iinarte,” so the UP Mountaineers say. What could this actually mean for the longest running mountaineering organization in the country?

daluyo. “Other hiking gear is shared, especially among UP Mountaineers,” Padilla adds.

Its forty years tell us how UP Mountaineers pioneered and sustained mountaineering as a consequential sport. More importantly, it showed how mountaineering is not just about literally reaching the summit, but going beyond it.

Magdaluyo, an associate professor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials at the College of Engineering, says that mountaineering is a multisport.

Mountaineering as a sport Since 1977, the UP Mountaineers have counted over a thousand professionals and students as members, as the open organization has welcomed individuals in and outside the UP community. Its strength lies in its observance of two basic rules—punctuality and participation.

UP Mountaineers President Ed Magdaluyo defines mountaineering thus: “Primarily, like any other kind of sport, it requires one to be physically fit. In fact, during the application period, applicants go through a physical fitness program, which is later applied to levels of climb activities before attaining membership status. It’s also about setting the right attitude while performing those tedious physical activities,” the UP Mountaineer Batch 2013 adds.

UP Mountaineer Batch 2016 Donna Padilla emphasizes attitude and mental fitness as very important qualities to possess as a mountaineer. “Like any other sport, mountaineering requires a holistic kind of preparedness, which means equipping oneself with physical strength as well as mental toughness.”

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“To those who are wondering, mountaineering is not an expensive sport. As long as you have a good pair of hiking shoes and proper clothing gear, you’re all set,” says Mag-

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Superlative mountaineering

“We have developed various physical fitness trainings and programs necessary for every climb we take. In turn, this exposure to high impact physical fitness, such as running and swimming, has turned members into trail runners, rock climbers, bikers, even triathletes.”

“I have been joining small groups of mountaineers in several hiking activities. But only when I signed up for the UP Mountaineers did I change how I value my every climb.

It taught me to not only think about myself, but also to consider the surroundings, to become responsible in general,” College of Home Economics Food Technology major Padilla shares.

Of course, Romy Garduce’s Mt. Everest climb is one of the many shining moments of the UP Mountaineers, according to Magdaluyo. Besides that, the organization also takes pride in its unrivaled expertise in opening up new and emerging trails.

Padilla and Magdaluyo also mention the mountaineering training programs that the organization has developed over years of hiking experience, from basic mountaineering courses to outdoor life support, and crisis and rescue response.

The recent success of the Akyat Convention held last May 18-19 with over 300 participants in attendance was a gratifying moment for these members. Magdaluyo describes this year’s convention theme—transformative learning beyond

While the UP Mountaineers have achieved these milestones, there are also moments in its history that remind them of constant struggle, even the inevitability of death.

“It is a challenge to encourage students to join because they think that this endeavor is expensive and difficult to integrate with their studies. But as I have always said, UP Mountaineers is all about sharing and responsibility too,” Padilla explains.

“Every year, we have a special climb dedicated to the fallen members of the UP Mountaineers. Our memorial climb commemorates the lives of our fellows whom we have lost along the way. We usually conduct this at the same time as the induction climb of our new members,” says Magdaluyo.

Going beyond the sport So, what does it mean, when the UP Mountaineers say, “Life begins kapag hindi ka na nag-iinarte?”

“Every climb yields a different view which you can never see in the lowlands. Of course, there’s the sea of clouds, but that’s temporary. It is more about your vulnerability

and keeping yourself open to the enchantments of nature, the mountains. It is a different kind of fulfillment to reach the summit from a long, hard struggle in the trails, and rewarding yourself with good food at the top,” Magdaluyo explains.

Padilla adds that “every time I reach the summit, it is always a humbling experience for me as I see myself as just a part of the whole vastness of nature.”

The statement also means to look past the self and go beyond the sport, according to Magdaluyo. As the current UP Mountaineers president, he is looking forward to numerous ongoing and new projects such as trail explorations, ecotourism training projects, and geotagging research.

He emphasizes the need for these training projects and collaborations with local government units to properly educate local guides as well as provide guidelines in implementing trail entry policies and security and environmental issues common to all hiking areas such as waste pollution and forest degradation.

Padilla, for her part, emphasizes the continuing education of the members as well as non-members of UP Mountaineers on responsible mountaineering. “If we are able to raise their awareness through education about responsible mountaineering, they will be able to have that drive to take care of nature. We desire to educate people to be mountaineers.”

(Clockwise from top left) UPM members at the base of Annapurna mountain range of central Nepal. Photo

by Dennis Lopez; Green is Good: Mt. Apo reforestation effort of UP Mountaineers. Photo by Romi Garduce; Always practice the Leave No Trace Principle; The team made it to the Everest Base Camp, situated at 5,300+ meters above sea level at the heart of the Khumbu Valley in Nepal. Photo by Dawa Lama.

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mountaineering—as a platform that provided discussions on pressing issues in four identified areas such as biodiversity, the digital age, ecotourism policies, and practices from various mountain terrains.

Aside from hiking, UP Mountaineers members also venture into rock climbing for a different kind of thrill. Photo from Bram Barrameda.

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The UP Forum

A Free Clinic for UP Athletes Frederick E. Dabu

Directly under the UP College of Human Kinetics (CHK), the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic (UP SPTC) is the only accredited facility that primarily provides free medical consultation, physical therapy services, first aid and paramedical assistance, and rehabilitation programs to all UP enlisted athletes. The clinic also offers local and international certification courses, trainings and seminars for physical therapy student interns and professionals in the field of sports and orthopedics. These services are also available to the University’s students, faculty, administrative personnel, and the general public.

Therapy in the field According to UP SPTC Director Maria Angela L. Borras, the clinic was originally a joint project of the CHK and the then UP School of Allied Medical Professions (now College of Allied Medical Professions in UP Manila). But it was only about a decade ago when the varsity physiotherapist then for the Maroons, Anthony Caguioa, reopened the facility and accepted student interns from UP Manila to be trained in sports, says Borras.

When Borras took over the job in 2011, the UP SPTC was formally set up as an organization headed by the CHK dean. “Clinical supervisors, who are licensed PTs, were welcomed as consultants. The CHK provided an in-house physiatrist for medical consultation, and with a good number of PTs available, the clinic started to operate regularly during weekdays, from 8 am to 5 pm,” she says.

“In 2012, the clinic developed a system that partnered student interns with licensed therapists, which allowed training and game coverage for all UP Fighting Maroons varsity teams, specifically for UAAP games. Therapy sessions have been done in the field to provide return-to-sports intervention and careful monitoring of the reintegration of recovering athletes to the team and sports,” continues Borras.

According to Borras, the milestones of the clinic include “providing post-graduate seminars and certification courses for licensed PTs and other sports professionals (2014); hosting an international certification course for Kinesiology Taping and Instrument Assisted Soft-Tissue Mobilization techniques (2015); Commission on Higher Education accreditation as an internship facility (2016); graduates from UP SPTC serving as physiotherapists for both professional

and non-professional athletic teams; licensed PTs who underwent post graduate training specialization working for teams here and outside the country; hosting international certification courses which cut the expenses for our local practitioners; staff serving for the Rio Summer Olympics (2016), FIFA Medical Emergency course, Anti-Doping course for healthcare professionals by Stanford University, and this year’s Russia World Cup; and, staff pursuing their master’s degree.”

Personnel, equipment, and other services The UP SPTC aims to “give excellent physical therapy services for injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance enhancement of the UP Diliman Varsity Teams;” and “be a role model for all sports physical therapy clinics in the country,” among its other goals mentioned earlier. And to fulfill these aims, the clinic operates under the leadership of CHK Dean Ronualdo Dizer and in coordination with Prof.

Oscar Santelices, chair of the Varsity Athletics Admission System (VAAS).

Dr. Alberto Magpily serves as the resident physiatrist.

According to Borras, the resident physiatrist and visiting orthopedic doctors from the UP Philippine General Hospital are in charge of “medical consultations and referrals for ancillary procedures and physical therapy intervention or other services, as needed.”

The varsity physiotherapist, tasked with ensuring that the teams are “provided with necessary care, training, game, and clinic based rehabilitation” is Ma. Crisanta Prieto. Borras, as the director of the facility, adds that she handles “external matters involving the clinic, such as partnerships with other universities, seminars and workshops, and other non-patient related events.” Borras explains that they, together with other physical therapists, serve as consultants, and as clinical and field supervisors who guide and assess students’ performance during their affiliation period.

Borras says that the clinic, located at the Ylanan Gymnasium of the CHK, makes use of equipment such as “therapeutic modalities like ultrasound and TENS, a traction machine, a LASER machine, and exercise machines for strengthening and endurance.” She adds that “the clinic also offers specialized services like instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, stationary and gliding cups, kinesiology taping, and wellness programs for weight loss or competition preparation for recreational athletes.”

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The University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman has a dedicated team of professionals that provides the UP Fighting Maroons—the collegiate varsity teams of UP Diliman—the health care they need, before and during University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) tournaments.

The clinic’s UP spirit With only one physiotherapist in charge of all the members of the varsity teams of UP Diliman, of each and every athlete of the UP Fighting Maroons, and clinic personnel having no security of tenure as consultants under non-UP contracts that are renewed every six months, the UP SPTC harnesses the UP spirit of honor and excellence, and dedication and grit, to provide its services, fulfill its goals, and thrive.

“Everyone else looking after the interns—10 to 12 students—and all the varsity teams, are compensated on consultancy basis. They enjoy no benefits and no papers despite their service to the University,” Borras reveals. “Our varsity physiotherapist is under a non-UP contract which is renewed every six months. Since the consultants and the varsity physiotherapist are not compensated and given benefits accordingly, dedication to the institution leads them to working multiple jobs to keep up with individual needs.

Whenever a consultant is offered a more sustainable opportunity, the clinic has no power to make a counter-offer and ends up losing staff almost every academic year,” she adds.

“The majority of the clientele of the clinic are the athletes, and since they are provided for free, the services, seminars and workshops, have been utilized to raise funds to compensate the consultants. Student-interns are also providing minimal affiliation fees and non-athletes are charged minimally as well. But these funds are not fixed and are limited to the number of enrollees for every year and on a periodic basis, and to the number of non-athletes referred to the center. In the end, the system, facility, and the services are always in limbo until job security for the personnel is provided,” explains Borras.

Live healthy In closing, Borras invites everyone to live a healthy life. “‘Exercise is medicine’ has never been more relevant than at present when common mortality causes are modifiable conditions and non-communicable diseases. As an advocate of movement and believer of adding more years to life, the clinic welcomes everyone to take charge of their health through seeking the services of professionals” she says.

“One does not need to get injured, be diagnosed with a disease, or be pressured by society before commencing to live a healthy lifestyle. Alongside the advocacy for movement, the Clinic aims to train more proficient and passionate individuals who will share their knowledge and skills with athletes and non-athletes, and UP and non-UP members alike,” concludes Borras.

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The clinic can be contacted via sportsptclinic@gmail.com for health and wellness concerns or sports-related services.

The UP Forum

(From top to bottom) Medical consultation. Photo from the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic; Athlete’s clinic-based rehabilitation session. Photo from the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic; Interns’ lecture sessions done at the start of their internship rotation to equip them with necessary knowledge and skills upon duty assignments.

Photo from the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic; In field game coverage. Photo from the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic.

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In field training coverage. Photo from the UP Sports Physical Therapy Clinic.

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Oblation at sunset by Celeste Ann L. Castillo The UP Forum