Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Sports for Peace ends By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato -– Youth participants of the historic Sports for Peace program closed the four-day sports activity Monday with smiles painted on their faces.
"They are really happy to be here. These children really had the time of their lives and we are happy for them," said Maria Arriem Castillon, one of the guidance counselors who conducted counseling on the war-affected children in the four-day event.
Karen Trinidad, a psychologist from the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine (PCSM) who spearheaded the counseling, said the effects of war on the children are very deep and that gathering them for a series of games had somewhat boosted their self confidence.
"They don't even want to sleep to enjoy every moment of their stay," Trinidad said. "This is like a dream for them."
Aside from counseling, each child also got new pairs of shoes and shirts from Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez.
The program benefited 200 internally displaced children, who were fetched from the different crisis areas in Cotabato and Maguindanao by NDMC president Fr. Romeo Saniel for the program.
The kids came from Midsayap, Aleosan, Pikit and Dtu Piang in Maguindanao.
Some 40 Muslim participants from Datu Piang even had come to the school straight from the evacuation centers.
The four-day activity was capped by championship games in basketball, softball, baseball and volleyball played in the different venues inside NDMC.
The parents of the participants arrived Monday morning in time for the closing program in the afternoon at 2 p.m.
Maria Fe S. Mahinay, one of the guidance counselors, shed tears of joy for the success of the activity.
"It was also fulfilling on our part having served these children," said Mahinay.
Mahinay said they will come up with an evaluation of the counseling and hope to visit the children as soon as possible.
