Category: Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)

The “O” stands for Olympic while the “S” stands for sports. One is named the Philippine Olympic Committee and the other, Philippine Sports Commission.

Why does our country have two sporting bodies? I don’t know. They call it “separation of powers.” I call it a headache. Why not just have one sports superbody? We know what happens when two people, both brandishing oversized egos and clasping immense clout, rule over the same arena. They fight. Like boxers. And for the past years, our PSC and POC leaders have engaged in boxing.

Well, if you consider that boxing is a sport then, yes, it’s good. But this is bad. Every time politics is injected in the noble pursuit of sports, it’s bad.

This PSC-POC tug-of-war ought to change. Now. And very timely, with our new commander-in-chief soon to assume a new first name—President—it’s the perfect time for Benigno Simeon Aquino III to merge these two warring bodies. The POC and the PSC should be one. Call it POSC or PSOC—it doesn’t matter—just don’t call it PCOS. What matters is that RP Sports look up to one leader in the same way that, when we speak of Tourism, we have but one chieftain, Ace Durano.

Michael Keon was such a man for sports. During the reign of Ferdinand Marcos as president, Mr. Keon (who was Marcos’ nephew) was the director of the Gintong Alay program. This started in October 1979. Because of this one-leader-for-all-of-sports philosophy, we achieved prominence in the international stage. Remember Lydia De Vega?

I hope Noynoy does the same. He must take advantage of this opportunity because the current POC chairman is his uncle, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco. One option: instead of appointing a new chairperson for the PSC, why not just make Peping (the brother of Cory) the head of all sports nationwide? Or, if the 75-year-old Peping is too old for the position and Noynoy prefers a younger, more athletic leader, then he choose one. What’s essential is one leader for RP sports.

Seated (from left): Donnie Nietes, Edito Villamor, John Pages, Dennis Cañete, Chad Cañares; standing: Rey Bautista, Z Gorres, AJ Banal and Michael Domingo

Gerry Peñalosa. Donnie Nietes. Niño Ramirez. Eric Llanto. The UV Green Lancers. Maritess Bitbit. Sally Mae Siso. Niño Surban. Antonio Gabica. Kelly Williams.

You know these names. You’ve read about them before. Seen them on TV. Watched them at the Cebu Coliseum or on the MTB track. They’re some of the dozens of awardees that were hailed as 2007 Cebu sports heroes.

Last night at 7 p.m., we all booked a huge function room, invited these top sports personalities, feted them with the best delicacies from the Laguna Garden Cebu, and paid a tribute to their achievements. Like we do each year. For the past 26 years.

Congratulations to Cebu’s very own, Fr. Vicente Uy, for being appointed yesterday as the Executive Director of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).Next to PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez, his position wields the most power. But Fr. Vic, one of the humblest people I’ve met, is not overawed. In an interview, he told Manila Bulletin’s Nick Giongco: “I don’t look at it as a position of power.”

At 7:15 p.m. yesterday, I got the chance to talk to Fr. Vic for a few minutes. I congratulated him and asked how his day went. “It’s only my second day so, as expected, I was very busy,” he said over the phone. “I’m at the airport now to welcome our SEA Games athletes who are returning home.”

I’ve known Fr. Vic Uy for many years now and it’s hard to find a nicer person. Here in Cebu, he yielded influence. At the University of San Carlos, he held one of the school’s highest positions as VP for Finance. To relinquish his role, he sought the permission of USC President Fr. Rod Salazar. “I asked for a ‘leave of absence’ from USC,” I recall Fr. Vic, 58, telling me a few months back. “And good thing my colleagues at USC understood my mission to help RP sports.”