Tuesday, August 21, 2007 Editorial: Devil or deep blue sea
REPRESENTATIVE Monico Puentevella is right in saying that the softbelles from Bacolod and Negros who competed but lost in the World Series of Little League Softball in Kirkland, Washington were left with no choice but to choose either the “devil or the deep blue sea.”
The girls’ intention was noble - to win the games and bring home the bacon.
However, their dreams vanished as they were “victimized” by two negative factors that caused their ultimate defeat against their rivals from other countries.
Among two negative factors were, of course, fund lack and the unsupportive Department of Education. The flight brouhaha prior to their departure going to the US might have also affected the girls’ performance.
Count also the climate and night game schedules among the added negative factors for them. Nevertheless, everything boils down to fund support. As what we observed, the girls always ended as victims of “racket” if not by politicians, it might be their coaches or someone whose ambition is only to go to the US.
Worse, the group of these young batters is sometimes perceived as “beggars” especially since according to Puentevella almost everybody is now suffering from the so-called donors’ fatigue.
Meaning potential donors, if not hesitant, are already tired of giving to the group because of the bad perception caused by the “infamous” Ray Fuentes, former coach of the Paglaum Village National High School girls team who, until now, remains hiding in the US.
And because of Fuentes’ case, even politicians now doubt to give the group financial assistance thinking that their donation might go to waste again. So Puentevella is correct in his analysis that the girls there in the US had no choice but to do their battle- win or loss- just because they’re already there.
And losing their bid in the World Series could be the worst experience they have now. Hoping this will have no more repeat next year. This, if Puentevella, Mayor Leonardia, the Department of Education and the Local School Board will meet to discuss the possibility of addressing the problem in preparation for next year if Bacolod really wants to send the girls again to the US.
