Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Financial woes bug COAA team By Lynde Salgados
THE Cagayan de Oro Athletic Association (COAA) team dreams of regaining its lost glory that has eluded them for over a decade now.
With extremely low budget hounding their campaign, Team CDO is hungry to harvest the golds in the forthcoming Palarong Pampook scheduled on April 1 to 4.
"We don't have the kind of financial support that we enjoyed during the time of Mayor (Ambing) Magtajas, but we are optimistic that we can still manage to get back to the top come this year's regional meet," said Porferio "Jun" Padinit, assistant to COAA Team Manager Delia Agbon, in Tuesday's meeting for coaches of the COAA delegation.
The 2008 NMRAA (Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association) Meet, otherwise known as Northern Mindanao's final qualifying phase for the Palarong Pambansa, will be held here on April 1 to 4 at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center.
The home ground team considered their well-prepared rivals from Bukidnon, Iligan and Misamis Oriental as the teams to beat in their quest to wrest back the Regional Meet title Team CDO held some 15 years ago.
But there's a big difference from the old Palaro days to the present. Team CDO is suffering from financial difficulties, thanks to the lackluster support from public officials.
Padinit said when Cagayan de Oro contingent was the Palarong Pampook champions in the early 90s, former City Mayor Pablo "Ambing" Magtajas poured in some P3.8 million to bankroll the athletes.
Now down to its lowest term of financial support, COAA is staggering with P1.2-million aid in Palaro campaigns under the administrations of Vicente Y. Emano (now city vice mayor) and concurrent City Mayor Constantino "Tinnex" Jaraula.
Actually, there was a proposal to augment P500,000 to the P1.2 million budget being carried out by the local Palaro school board. But Padinit said Jaraula decided to scrap it (additional P500,000) in the end.
"Kon inot si Emano, kuripot sab kini si Jaraula. Maayo na lang ang inot kay sa kuripot. Mismo si Tinnex ang mibungat sa maong pulong nga kuripot gyod siya. (If Emano is thrifty, Jaraula is much even more to this. And it was the Mayor himself who admitted that he's very conservative when it comes to spending government's money)," Padinit later told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
To this effect, Padinit was quick to warn the coaches that Team CDO would come out somewhat unique during the Regional Meet parade around the city "since we will be completely different from other teams."
He explained that while rival delegations would dress up their elementary and secondary athletes with complete set of uniforms "from head to foot", CDO juggernauts would have to make do parading without the usual jacket and pair of shoes.
"Of course, our athletes would still look complete as they'll be wearing jogging pants and polo shirt uniforms during the opening parade," added Agbon.
Because of the prevailing condition, Padinit dared the local tri-media to do a special coverage of the NMRAA parade focusing on CDO delegation.
"At least, makita ug ma-amgohan sa atong mga opisyales sa siyudad kon na unsa na diay `ning atong sitwasyon karon pag-abot sa mga Palaro meet," Padinit concluded.
