Lapasan to develop basketball program

FOLLOWING their victory in the recently concluded 1st Dongkoy Emano Cup inter-barangay basketball tournament, Barangay Lapasan now looks forward to developing a basketball program for their youth.

Barangay chairman Omar Labuntog said he will be meeting with the coaching staff of the village's two basketball teams to map out the program to be financed through Youth Council funds.

The Barangay Lapasan team that competed in the open division of the tournament emerged as champions while the Under-14 team placed second, with the former bagging the top cash prize of P30,000 and the latter P15,000.

Labuntog said the prizes will be divided among the players who, he said, all come from the barangay as they did not take in imports.

In the open division, the Most Valuable Player award was won by Ramil Tagupa.

Labuntog thanked Misamis Oriental 2nd District Rep. Yevgeny "Bambi" Emano and his father Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente "Dongkoy" Emano for sponsoring the tournament that was participated by the different barangays of the city.

He also acknowledged tournament commissioners Boboy Sabal and Ching Lai Casiño for the successful holding of the event, which ensured a second edition tentatively scheduled to start in July.

For bringing honor to the barangay, Labuntog cited the coaching staff of their open division team headed by Olango and team manager Tony Boy Labuntog as well as the coaching staff of the Under-14 team headed by Rene Ilogon and Chito Macabuac.

For the residents of Lapasan, the barangay council has begun using shirts with "I Love Lapasan" slogan to promote unity and peace in the community as well as drum up support for economic activity in the area.

Giving support are the barangay councilors: Bonifacio Bustamante, Julito Ogsimer, Maria Nenita Daming, Kenneth Ray Lao, Fil-Octavio Autor, John Paul Olango, Alberto Poquita and SK chairman April Mae Tubac. (GLG)