AMONG the best sports-ticking LGUs in Northern Mindanao, the booming town of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental stays "focus" and "active" in promoting health-enhancing programs in in this most difficult time of pandemic.
"Dili nato hulatan mawad-an ta'g kauban kay walay gibuhat nga pasingot o pataas sa kinabuhi nga mga kalihokan niining panahon sa pandemic (We just can't afford to lose a fellow for doing nothing related to life-enhancing activity in this time of pandemic)," said Tagoloan sports director Van Halen Parmis on Thursday's solidarity meeting for the launching of Tagoloan Health Monitoring and Dance Fitness Challenge.
In partnership with DepEd Tagoloan District, the gathering was attended by school heads, clinic teachers and sports coordinators of said town.
Guest speakers include Public Schools District Supervisor Nilda Mejos, College of Midwifery's Clinical Coordinator Dr. Elmer Casino of Tagoloan Community College, faculty member Errol Toledo and DepEd Sports Coordinator Noel Bagayna of Tagoloan District.
On Monday (July 27) is the start of health monitoring such as regular check up of blood pressure, pulse rate and body weight before the full blast opening of dance fitness challenge next week.
55-year--old Rosana Adaya, principal of Casinglot National High School , is worried that she now ballooned to 85 kilograms.
"I don't know how to start losing weight until this program was conceived i'm so excited i can't wait flexing muscles with the rest of participants," Adaya said.
59-year-old taekwondo coach Rosillo Paduala of Mohon Elementary School shared that he's battling with high blood pressure, though he decided against taking any medication or "maintenance."
"I jog every Friday but it's useless if we tolerate our taste buds. So i limit my food in-take on veggies with less rice in order to survive," Paduala said.
When the global scourge coronavirus (Covid-19) reared its ugly head early this year, Tagoloan immediately unleashed its weight loss program to go along with the Nutrition Month in lieu of the usual sports activities that apparently came to a halt.
And 29-year-old Lianne Carel Labininay, Admin Aide 1 of Tagoloan Community College, was an inspiration.
Struggling with a massive figure of almost 200 kilograms before taking the challenge, Labininay managed to go down to 115 en route to winning the best model title of the TCC Nutrition Month.
"Losing weight is also confidence-building. I can now walk and move with grace. And i'm determined to keep doing yoga and zumba alternately to get rid more fats because we're planning to settle down with my partner," Labininay told SunStar Cagayan de Oro.
Coach Vanz, as Parmis is known in Vizayas sports circle, was the personal choice of Mayor Gomer "Enan" Sabio to revolutionize Tagoloan sports that enjoyed success before the crippling Covid took its toll.
Parmis said he was saddened that a popular basketball coach in Cagayan de Oro, Felixberto "Bobong" Gabales and another one Cebuano sports mentor both died from Covid in Cebu City.
"Kini karon nga panahon, either we survive or mamatay 'ta. However busy we are, we should give time to physical fitness. In time of depression kon adunay exercise at least maka fight pa atong immune system against Covid. Of course, we should stick to sporting events that have been approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)," Parmis said.
As the mother of Tagoloan DepEd family, Mejos said the program is very timely since school teachers are becoming psychologically and emotionally disturbed.
"They've become visibly-worried of body size. Problema sab ang sukod sa oniporme pagbukas sa klase kay halos tanan nangdagko na. Happy life needs healthy life so very timely gyod kaayo ang maong programa," Mejos said.