THIS week marks the final days in office of those who are aligned with the losing candidates in the previous election. Inevitably, some of those who deserve to be retained will be replaced by men and women chosen by the winning candidate.
It’s a fact of life in government service. They even have a term for it. Tom Jones. Or “Taman June.”
With sports being my primary interest, I hope a few of the hardworking men and women behind the Cebu Province Sports Commission (CPSC) will be absorbed by other sports commissions, who would undoubtedly prosper by taking them in. Believe me, I’ve seen some sports commissions come and go, I’ve seen some who put more emphasis on “commission” than sports, but for the past few years, sports in Cebu Province has improved by leaps and bounds because of the people who work behind the scenes there.
The incoming administration, of course, will be bringing their own men and women and I hope they can do as well if not better than their predecessors. Sports should be free from politics, right? Ideally, but in this kind of setting, politics play a key role.
It was under Gov. Gwen Garcia’s time that there was a province-wide Governors Cup for women’s volleyball managed by the Cebu Volleyball Association. Will we see a reincarnation of that tournament or would the one under the CPSC be continued?
In Cebu City, it would be interesting too what will happen to the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) and its members. Would there be changes? The current CCSC chairman, Ed Hayco, served both Mayor Mike Rama and Tomas Osmeña and did well.
Will incoming mayor Edgar Labella name someone new and would that someone be able to replicate the volunteer-driven thrust of Hayco’s term?
On the other hand, Mandaue City and Talisay City seem to be in for a welcome change. Mayor Jonas Cortes has said he will pursue his plans for the Mandaue City Sports Center, one that could make the city a viable venue for meets like the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association. For Talisay City, we all know that incoming mayor Samsam Gullas loves all things basketball. What not all know is that in the University of the Visayas (UV), he began giving more support to the school’s other varsity teams and did not concentrate the funds on UV’s vaunted basketball team. That means, he’s going to take the same approach when he appoints people to the Talisay City Sports Commission, it won’t be basketball-centric.