Padilla: Sportscope: Oktuberfest: birthday, boxing & busking

IT WAS 8:45 a.m. last Friday when I got a call from mang Nars Padilla saying that he was in the hospital and he cannot make his regular column at SunStar. “So take over,” said my former boss at the Baguio Centennial Commission.

“It has to be two pages, double space,” said the soon to be 87-year-old, and “blah, blah, blah,” he added. Still sleepy, I couldn’t understand the rest of what he said. But then, he emphasized that I should make mention of Oktuberfest and “don’t forgot those who has gone to the great beyond.”

“Yes sir,” I said.

For years, San Miguel Beer has been pushing for Oktuberfest, when beer drinking is at its peak. Thanks to the Germans for this annual festivity when after harvest, they gather for a feast and, of course, with lots of beer drinking. It starts when the Hunters Moon appears, when the yield of the farm has been harvested and time to hunt. It usually starts on September 21, just as autumn comes.

At Luisa’s, where we hang out, and in many bars in Baguio, Oktuberfest started last month. Chongloy Wong and most resto/bar owners offer beer at half the price. Get a beer and you get two for the price of one. But it is only a two hour window, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Fridays for the whole month of September and October.

Proost! Salud! Kampai! Kumbei!

***

For Baguio media, October is a time of festivity. It is the Media Oktuberfest. Thanks to the late mang Gerry Evangelista, who celebrates his birthday on October 1. It was in 2005, when he was my editor-in-chief at the former Cordillera Today, when he told me to come out with an event for media birthday celebrants. Like a good soldier, I obeyed. So we started gathering the celebrants and set a date and place (where else but the PIA grounds at Mansion) for our grand party.

Mang Gerry was the alpha, mang Nars, whose birthday is on the 31st, is the omega. In between, there were more than a dozen other celebrants myself including. Among them are: Andrew Pinero (now with the Baguio Country Club), Dodie Mendillo (ABS-CBN), Primo Agatep (PNA), Redjie Cawis (PIA), Tina Sales (then with SunStar) and Monch David.

Among us, were former SunStar EIC Willy Cacdac and Manny Fortuny.

Mang Nars will turn 87 on October 31. I guess, he is a bit sentimental now. I guess, he misses his friends, mang Gerry, mang Joe Florendo, mang Gus Saboy, to name a few - journalists who were like fathers to those who joined the print trade in the 90s.

***

It is timely thus that Brico Santig will come out with the Highland Brawl 5 on October 30, a seven bout event at the People’s Park.

Santig, who is arriving from Thailand today, said two main events will be eight rounders where Luzon Professional Boxing Association belts are at stake. Two six rounders and three four round bouts will backstop the event which will be staged to raise a little fund to support those turned homeless in Itogon.

The event organized by Highland Boxing Promotions will make full use of the People’s Park (Malcolm Square for old Baguio folks like mang Nars) as activities will start as early as 8 AM. Aside from the ring at the middle, five tents on each side will be placed. The right fronting Judge Malcolm will be for the organizers, with the sound tech nearest the bust, two tents of 10 feet by 10 feet will be utilized as “gym” where boxing gym equipment will be made ready for anybody’s use and coaches or even boxers to help them out, the last will be for medical purposes.

Across, will be for artists preferably those coming from Itogon, where people can have their sketches, henna or tattoo. Three booths will be made ready for craftsmen also.

If allowed, booths for coffee and beverages as well as packed food will be set up opposite the bust.

After the bouts, the area beside judge Malcolm will be turned into a stage where at least 10 musicians/bands will play until 10 in the evening.

This will be a boxing & busking event for the benefit of the Itogon people made victim by Ompong’s wrath.

In some way, it is also Oktuberfest, the end of the month-long fete.

It also ushers in the 87th birthday of Mang Nars, whose space, temporarily, I now occupy. (Pigeon Lobien - Guest Columnist)

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