Thursday, October 23, 2008 Butch on Midsayap experience: More than an Olympic gold By Marianne Saberon-Abalayan
PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William "Butch" Ramirez said the successful staging of the recent Sports for Peace program for internally displaced children at the Notre Dame of Midsayap College (NDMC) in North Cotabato was more than winning gold in the Olympics.
Ramirez said the Sports for Peace program even surpassed all his achievements as a sports leader.
"What transpired in Midsayap for five days is more than a gold mine for the Philippines in the Olympics. We did not win gold medals but we helped transform the lives of some 500 children and their parents who have been victims of war conflict in Maguindanao and Cotabato provinces. We saved their souls," Ramirez told journalists in a press conference Tuesday night at Whaw Grill and Restaurant.
Ramirez said the counseling given by Karen Trinidad of the Philippine Center for Sports Medicine (PCSM) and NDMC counselors to the participants was the most crucial part of the program.
He recalled that it took some time for some of the kids, especially those from war-torn Datu Piang, to open up and share their traumatic experiences, but they later found the experience freeing.
The counseling process, according to him, also led to Muslim, Lumad, and Christian children accepting one another.
"Hearing from the children's tragic stories, seeing them blend well together during the clinics and games, and seeing the hope and joy on their faces made me realize that the experience was for a lifetime," the PSC chief said.
"I thought that putting up the Philippine Sports Institute would be my legacy. But now I realize that what we have started and done in the last five days is my legacy. It's very fulfilling to instill in the kids the beauty of peaceful co-existence and help them experience peace and unity all throughout the program. These kids may become the future commanders of the MILF and future generals of the military. It's very important that they learn the value of peace as early as now," Ramirez added.
The PSC chief said NDMC and PSC would continue their efforts to reach out to the Sports for Peace participants who were given balls, shoes, and shirts as souvenirs of the five-day event.
"We are looking forward to also bring the program to Socsksargen and Marawi, among other areas," Ramirez said.
