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In Cebu, if we speak of Sports Rehabilitation and Sports Conditioning, one of the top experts is Dr. Rhoel Dejaño. His specialty is Rehabilitation Medicine. “We are called Physiatrists, not Physical Therapists,” he says.

A certified sports conditioning coach who trained with the IGNITE360 discipline — the sports performance section of the IMG Academy (Bolletierri Tennis Academy is part of IMG) that’s based in Braddenton, Florida — Dr. Dejaño has also trained numerous teams and athletes in Cebu: CEC, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo, June Mar Fajardo, Dave Wilson Yu, the Cebu City Sports Commission, and tennis aces Noynoy Seno, Jana Pages and Kara Salimbangon, among others.

A Class-A tennis player who’s watched the US Open (Sampras and Agassi) and who considers Novak Djokovic as his favorite, Dr. Dejaño is both a sports doctor and a sports fanatic. Here’s our recent Q & A:

WORKED WITH TEAMS AND ATHLETES. I had the chance to work with CEC (the basketball team that became champions in CESAFI – from never winning a game before to being eventual champions). That was the first time I felt fulfilled after working sometime with USP as a volunteer. I offered myself to some schools before to help them out with the conditioning part of their training but hard to convince them that this was the way to go. Even now, majority still stick to the old methods of training. After CEC won, Ateneo asked me to help them out and until now I’m with them with their basketball program and football teams. The Ateneo basketball team and footbal teams won the championships in the major basketball tournaments in Cebu. Both teams will represent Cebu in the upcoming Palaro. The good thing with Ateneo is they believe in what I do and the Admin and coaching staff are very supportive. I started working with some schools but it was shortlived because, time and again, they still want to be with the old system of conditioning – eg. isolated weight training when this is not functional, ( form vs. function ) or jogging for and hour when they are not going to be long distance runners (unless youre sports require such like marathon, triathlon or cycling). Even so you can still break this up into short training periods but with more frequency.

Not a lot know that June Mar Fajardo was with us for a year way back when he was statrting out with UC. Remember that time when he was sidelined for knee injury? He was actually doing rehab and conditioning with us for a year after which upon his return he can now move more effeciently, run faster and jump higher.

Moncrief Rogado previously with USP and UC who now plays for the D League in Manila was also with me for quite some time. So is anthony Navarro from cec before ( bemedalled swimmer sa palaro ) and is now with San Beda.

Dave Wilson Yu formerly with the Ateneo hi school team also was with me. He is now with NU in manila and is presently training with Coach Schilling  in Idiana USA.

I’m also collaborating with the Cebu City Sports Commision. we already had several workshops with the local coaches especially in the grassroots level. I want to share my knowledge with them so as to improve our training methods and hopefully produce future champions. I’ve also been going around the Philippines doing workshops for those interested in this field. I have several coming up in Bacolod, Davao and Tacloban. Some universities have already asked me to help them out as they prepare for the next season.

Individuals that come to the clinic – I have Noy2 Seno, Jana Pages and Kara Salimbangon for tennis. Noy2 seno has been doing good in the junior circuits lately several basketball players from different schools. Volleyball players, golfers, almost all sports actually and even ballet dancers.

LOVE FOR TENNIS. I’ve been playing tennis since I was in grade school. Got the chance to play in some age group tournaments way back. These were usually sponsored by PNB before (maybe you’ve joined this, too). Unitl now I still play regularly. I’ve watched the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows during the time of Agasii and Sampras. But this time my US trip schedule doesnt coincide with the US Open. I’m usually in New York every December to visit family. But I get the chance to play, though, in Flushing Meadows. Of course the experience of playing where our idols play is different. It’s like walking on hallowed grounds.. the feeling is just hard to describe.

I have several tennis players whom I admire. Roger federer for his coolness. He’s probably the most conditioned player there is. He’s been in the tour for quite sometime and haven’t had any major injuries so far. Sharapova for her grace and poise. Serena for her tenacity. Nadal for his vicious forehands; but sorry for him as his been plagued with a lot of injuries lately. Hopefully, we’ll see him back in the tour soon. But the player i admire most is NOVAK Djokovic. He’s very well conditioned that’s why he is winning almost all the major tournamnts. In professinal tennis, when you look at it skills-wise, most are probably on the same level. In the end, it boils down to who is more conditioned.

I’ve watched a few tennis tournaments in the US, some NBA games, too. Of course, locally, PBA games and especially when in Cebu I get the chance to be in the front row as I’m calld to treat their injured plyers as the games physician. In cesafi basketball, I’m also there. Thanks also to your group for bringing the Davis Cup to cebu as I get the chance to watch good tennis. Excited for the NBA game coming in October.

COMMON INJURIES? “Sprains and Strains. This involves the musculoskeletal system. This may range from cuts and lacerations to more serious ones when you have brain Injury from falls or blows, fractures, ligamentous injuries like ACL tears. This also depends on the type of sport. Most injuries happen due to lack of (or improper) training. Most people do it too soon, too fast, too heavy. Look at Abellana during Intramurals season (Aug. and Sept.) and you can see a lot of “athletes” doing “training.” During regional and division meets, we hurriedly form teams. This results in a lot of injuries. You cannot produce champions overnight. I believe that champions are made, not born. You can make a champion out of a beginner with the proper training in skills and in physical condition.”

HOW NOT TO GET INJURED. “The best way is to have proper training. That means they should be well-conditioned. Look at tennis. If you’re not well conditioned, how can you last several hours of continuous running, jumping, shifting positions? You’ll get injury if your muscles, joints and bones have not been trained to withstand all this rigors. You have to listen to your body. Once you start to feel something, especially pain, then it means something. You have to stop (rest) and, if it doesnt go away, then you have to seek professional advice. DO NOT overdo things. There is no shortcut to training. Look at our runners today. They just train for a month or two then they’re doing the full marathon. Worst, doing 3, 5 or more marathons in a year. The literature says that you need at least two years of training before your first 42K. And the most you can do is two marathons in a year. (A lot would frown on this.) You have to look long-term. You have to take care of your body; that also means proper nutrition, hydration, mental attitude and character.”

PERPETUAL SUCCOUR. “Since our clientele at Perpetual is increasing, we have plans of expanding. In the drawing plans is a 2-floor Rehab Center which is going to be the biggest in the Philippines and probably in Asia. One floor for rehab for patients and another floor dedicated solely to sports conditioning. It’s going to be a sports performance center. Thats why I have to update myself with training abroad. Come June, I’ll be in the IMG Academies in Braddenton, Florida for a week for actual coaching and get the chance to train professional atheletes.”

SCHEDULE. “I’m in Chong Hua Hospital from 10 AM to 12 noon (Cebu Rehabmedics at the Chong Hua Medical Arts building). In the afternoon, I go to Perpetual Succour Hospital from 3 to 5 PM; this is the clinical part of me. But when I train with my staff in the field, I’m usually in the courts by 5:30 AM.”

MESSAGE. “There is no shortcut to training. You can become a champion if you work hard and train properly. Having superior skills will not necessarily make you a champion. It has to be paired with a well conditioned body. As for the general population: Always listen to your body. Once you feel something — this is a red flag that something is wrong. Finally, Don’t play a sport to get fit. You have to be fit to play a sport!”

Last Sunday afternoon at the full-capacity North Wing Atrium of SM City Cebu, I stepped on stage and faced over 500 athletes, parents and spectators. As the outgoing president of the sportswriters group, I gave a speech. Here’s what I said…

Maayong hapon kaninyong tanan! Welcome to the 31st SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards. I am so excited and happy for all of you here. This day will be a day that you will remember for a long time. After thousands of hours of training and sweating, we come here to celebrate your triumphs. But before we ask you, the awardees, to come up on stage, I’d like to recognize a few groups of people.

First, I want to ask all the PARENTS to stand up. All the dads, moms, lolos, lolas.. Let us give them the loudest applause of the afternoon. Dear athletes, you would not be here and you would not be who you are today if not for your parents. Your parents have given up so much — of their time, effort, resources — to help you.

On a personal note, let me tell you a story. Twenty four years ago, when this event was still the 7th Sports Awards edition, I sat there just like you, ready to receive my Special Citation Award. The sport was for tennis and I was only 16 years old. Then, I was ranked No. 5 in the country in my age category. That was 24 long years ago — and I know many of you were not born yet at that time!

Today, I stand here not only as a sportswriter but more so as a proud parent because seated among you is a Special Citation awardee… also for tennis. She’s 14 and was ranked No. 4 in the Phils. I’m talking about my daughter Jana.

My wife Jasmin and I cannot be prouder — just like all the parents here today. And so this Awarding is not just an awarding for the athletes — but also for us, dear parents.

Next, I want to honor my fellow SPORTSWRITERS. You read their names in the newspapers and see their photos with their sports columns. But I’d like you to personally meet them today… Mike, Caecent, Edri, JunMigs, Rico, Iste, Jingo, Marian, Rene, Mars, Boy, Salven…

These are the men and women who write about your stories; your defeats and triumphs. They’ve published your photos. Many of their articles, you’ve cut out and kept. Many years from now, when you have your own families, you’ll let your children read about articles they wrote.

Earl Warren, the former US Supreme Court Chief Justice once said, “The front page records nothing but man’s failures. The sports page records people’s accomplishments.” Very true. Let us clap for the men and women who bring us good news…

The third group I want to honor are the AWARDEES. Let me give special mention to football. This weekend is a major one for football. Yesterday, the Aboitiz Cup finals were finished. Tonight, there’s the CFA General Assembly. We have no less than the top officials of Philippine football here with us, led by the PPF president Nonong Araneta, the PFF Sec. Gen. Edwin Gastanes, and Dan Palami, the team manager of the Azkals. And, of course, our presidential awardee, Engr. Ricky Dakay.

Football is the world’s most popular sport. And thanks to these men, football is becoming the most popular sport in Cebu and in the country.

To all the awardees, let me tell you this: you are all different. Look around you. I want you to look left, right, back. Smile at each other. You come from different sports. You each have your own expertise. But as different as you are, you share one thing in common: Sacrifice.

We are here today to honor your sacrifices. Because while your friends go malling, you’re under the sun for four hours training. While your family members are asleep, you wake up at 5 A.M. to run. While your classmates go home from school early and watch TV, you stay in school late to dribble or kick and practice.

There’s a saying: Life is like an echo. What you send out, you get back. It’s the same in sports: What you give; the sacrifices you make — you get back. We honor your sacrifices. We celebrate your sacrifices in this Cebu Sports Awards. Congratulations!

The Los Angeles Lakers is the most famous basketball team on earth. In terms of history, no other ballclub compares. Founded in 1947 as the Minneapolis Lakers, they transformed to become the “LA Lakers” starting in 1960.

Since then, the team has won 16 NBA championships and has hosted such legends as Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. From the coaching end, they’ve been led by icons Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

The Lakers are defined by one color: gold. That’s the color on their jerseys. That’s the color painted on their floor. That’s the color they often wear at the end of the NBA season: a gold medal for winning the golden NBA ring.

This 2012 – 2013 season, the residents of Los Angeles — tens of thousands of whom are our Filipino relatives — could not have been more optimistic. Why? Because they have as golden a line-up as any other NBA team.

If Miami Heat has the “Big Three” in LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, the LA Lakers has the “Fantastic Four” in Kobe, Pau Gasol and their two newest recruits, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.

Imagine a Bryant-Gasol-Nash-Howard team? They can play with four players and beat a squad with five men.

Add Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) or Antawn Jamison and you’ll have an unbeatable team. We’re looking at a 96-0 (regular season and playoff period) record!

Wait, wait. Not so fast. It turns out this all-star cast won’t score a perfect-win season.

Game 1 vs. the Dallas Mavericks? Lakers lost, 99-91. Game 2 vs. the Portland Trail Blazers? Lakers lost 116-106. Game 3 vs. their “neighbor,” the LA Clippers? I watched that on Channel 45 yesterday. Lakers lost again.

From Hollywood-like expectations, the Lakers have become Bollywood; they’ve turned-over the ball, missed easy shots, lost Steve Nash to injury in Game 3, and are now scrambling.

Yesterday, in LA v. LA, since the time that I switched on the TV set in the 2nd quarter, the Clippers led each and every minute. Gold-and-Purple was trampled by Blue-and-White.

“Being a diehard Kobe fan,” said SamSam Gullas, an astute basketball observer and the UV team manager, “I must admit that I’m shocked by the 0-3 start. I really thought they would challenge the 72-10 record set by the Chicago Bulls.”

Why this horrific start? I asked Mr. Gullas. “Maybe with Phil Jackson at the helm,” he said. “But with Mike Brown, they’re not going anywhere.”

From the highest of expectations, now the Lakers are being castigated. And this is a valid concern: Not since 34 years ago has the Lakers started 0-3.

“We’re hitting the panic button now,” said Bryant, who scored 40 yesterday. “That’s what we’re supposed to do. That’s our job. We’re not supposed to just kind of coast and just assume things are going to fix themselves. We’ve got to push at it.”

In every step of yesterday’s game, the Lakers were beaten. In fast-break points, the Clippers beat them, 21-8; in second-chance points, the same scenario: 20-7.

The Clippers player I enjoyed watching? Chris Paul. He scored 18 and dished-out 15 assists. He was all-smiles because Steve Nash was absent with a bruised left shin.

“To be remembered from now until April: The Clippers haven’t won the season series with the Lakers since 1992-93,” wrote Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times in ‘Lakers lost to Clippers, 105-95, fall to 0-3.’ He added, “In fact, they took the series one other time in the 42-year history of their franchise, when they were the Buffalo Braves in 1974-75.

“It’s only a rivalry if both teams win. It’s been pretty lopsided,” Paul said. “For us, we just wanted to come in, try to get a win in a tough environment and we did.”

Is this start a cause for concern? Absolutely. Is it time to panic and say that the Lakers can’t win this whole thing? No. Like Miami two years ago, it takes time for super heroes to work together. Let’s just hope, in tomorrow’s game vs. the Detroit Pistons, this “Fantastic Four” won’t go 0-4.

Got this message from my good friend Roland So, our former No.1 tennis (and Davis Cup) player. Amazing results thus far for Jurence:

The country’s top junior netter, Jurence Zosimo G. Mendoza, 16 years old and a native of Olongapo City, recently won in 2 international junior tennis championships.
He won the singles championship in the Chickeeduck Hongkong Open Junior Tennis Championships, a Grade 3 tournament, last week where he beat a Swiss opponent.  He was runner-up in singles and champion in doubles in China Junior 15 – Xiamen, a Grade 2 tournament which was held last September.  As a result of these performances, he is now ranked no. 94th best junior player in the world by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

More importantly, he is now the highest ranked junior player in Southeast Asia and 7th in Asia.  Prior to joining these tournaments, he trained in Thailand and Switzerland under the program of Swiss Coach Dominik Utzinger.

His local coach, Martin Misa, said Jurence is right on target for the necessary ranking to be included in the main draw of the grand slam juniors, starting with the Australian Open in January 2013.  Jurence will next compete in Grade 2 and Grade A tournaments in Japan and Korea beginning next week.

We watch sports to be entertained. Last Sunday, we got entertained by a different type of sport. The athlete? She sported a tattoo.

Charice. In her first solo concert in Cebu, two “negatives” I can mention. First, few people showed up. When the concert started, 60 percent of the Waterfront ballroom was empty. Shocking! But it wasn’t surprising. The organizers hardly marketed the event. I didn’t even know about the event until my sister Cheryl reserved tickets. (Also, I’ve never seen so many scalpers prowling the lobby.) The other “bad” part? Charice’s image. Unlike the sweet and cute teenager that we’ve seen on Oprah and with David Foster, this time she has the “edgy” look: gloves, leather jacket, dyed hair covering her face. (With her change of look/image, she didn’t even sing a single Celine Dion song!)

Still, seated seven rows from the stage and together with 10 other family members, it was an entertainment blast.

Charice opened with David Guetta’s “Without You.” She spoke in perfect Bisaya, “Maayong gabii kaninyong tanan.” Admitting that she was nervous, (“It’s my first time back since I came here for the ‘Little Big Star’ contest,” she said), Charice is a world-class performer. She did renditions from Michael Jackson, Adele, Bruno Mars and she sang Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” The sentimental part was when she recalled the death last year of her father (“I never got to perform in front of him”) and sang Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.”

The best part? Of course, when Iyaz appeared on-stage for “Pyramid.” Iyaz then did several solo songs and got the seated audience standing and dancing.

Ending? Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” to which Charice added… “I will always love you… Cebu.” It was a blast. Sayang that few people watched.

Here’s a very well-written article by top writer, Rafe Batholomew…

Kobe invades Manila; NBA not invited

Joe, Dondi, John and Bunny with the Joint Security Area guards

Baseball stadium

1988 Olympic Games stadium

With Phil. Ambassador to South Korea Luis Cruz

Our Philippine delegation

Manny V. Pangilinan is MVP. He’s the Most Valuable Pinoy. For few people, in business, in sports, in philanthropy, have done more for our nation than MVP.

Yet, for all the man’s successes, he is fallible. MVP made a mistake. A shameful and embarrassing one when, last March 27, he delivered the commencement address at the Ateneo.

MVP’s bungle? He plagiarized. Quoting paragraphs from Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, J.K. Rowling and Conan O’Brien, he failed to acknowledge the authors. Days after, Facebook users exposed the flaw and MVP resigned as chairman of the board of Ateneo.

Ouch. Has MVP become the Most Vilified Person? Has my admiration for him diminished? No, no. For here’s what MVP did: He acted. As soon as he uncovered the fault, he apologized. He quit as ADMU chairman. How many of our leader-politicians, I ask, given the same circumstances, are willing to resign? When humiliated, when mistaken, when the verdict is obvious that a blunder was made—how many of our leaders are willing to say sorry?

Few. That’s because many are “bagang-nawong.” Not MVP. He displayed a trait we often heard during sermons last week: Humility.

“He is truly a man of principles, dignity, integrity and humility… a true MVP,” wrote Me-anne Alcordo Solomon, in Facebook. “What happened could happen to anyone of his stature where considering his busy schedule, had the speech made by a ghostwriter and yet MVP takes full responsibility. In my book, MVP will always be the MVP and the incident doesn’t diminish my respect for him. I was doubly blessed that day seeing my son among the graduates and hearing MVP speak. He spoke true to his last words ‘that like the tadpole, he dropped his tail and jumped out of the swamp.’”

My hope? Not that the Ateneo board will decline his resignation—for MVP himself, I’m sure, given the embarrassment, will insist on being “out.” My hope is that all of us, from ordinary folks to top executives, will learn from MVP’s behavior.

He did not hide. He did not delay. He did not rationalize. He did not even lay the blame on his speechwriter (whom I can only describe as… tanga). Like a true leader who knows “command responsibility,” he accepted his fault and said sorry.

The speech itself? Even deleting the “copy-pasted” words, it was funny and insightful. The most important lesson of the 1,892-worded speech—ironically—was on failure.

“On this wonderful day when you stand on the threshold of what is called real life, it is – ironically – the best time to talk about failure,” he said. “Nobody‘s life is seamless or smooth. We all stumble. We all have setbacks. If things go wrong, you hit a dead end – as you will, many times in your life – it‘s just life‘s way of saying – time to change course. Now I cannot tell you that failure is fun. Periods of failure in my life were dark ones. I’ve had a lot of success. But I’ve had a lot of failures. I’ve looked good. I’ve looked bad. I’ve been praised and criticized. And it hurt like hell. But my mistakes have been necessary. I had no idea how far the tunnel of failure extended. And any light at the end of it seemed more hope than reality…

“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you can be secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life, my career and, most importantly, my moral values. So graduates, always remember this – success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts.”

Sports? “Don’t forget that you have a body under your toga,” he said. “Take good care of it. Engage in sports. It‘s fun, and it is a laboratory for victory and adversity. How an athlete celebrates his triumphs, or overcomes defeat or injury, how he deals with a hostile crowd or a critical media, reflects what life is all about. Indeed, sports offers a richness all its own – it is a metaphor for life.”

It’s sad but often true. When the term “Philippine government agency” is used, synonyms like “inefficient” and “corrupt” and “slow” are mentioned. Not my experience last Thursday morning during the renewal of my driver’s license at the SM City.

What an efficient system of the Land Transportation Office. (Three years back and having gone through the same noteworthy experience, I vowed, but failed, to write about my observations. So finally…)

I arrived early and was customer No. 7. Everything was methodical and organized. The front guard had the forms ready. The signages “Step 1, Step 2” etc. were visible. The staff were in a hurry (unlike other government agencies?). The physician in-charge of examination, Dr. Roy Abellana, was cordial and helpful. We even engaged in a chitchat, commenting that he knew my grandmother, Dr. Paulina “Bing” Pages.

The LTO office was clean, well-lighted, plus the location in SM is convenient. Technology was properly used: from the onsite card printer to the fingerprint scanner to several 32-inch LCD screens that showed children’s Christian movies. Best of all, the dreaded word “corruption” does not exist.

In all, from my arrival at 10:05 a.m. until I got my license, it took just 50 minutes. Amazing. (Here’s a tip: Line up early outside SM then, when the doors open, sprint to their office.) Kudos to the LTO.