SHORT. SWEET. COLD.
That’s how I’d describe the Opening Ceremonies of the Cebu Schools’ Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) last Saturday afternoon.
The program began at 2 p.m. sharp. And ended two hours later. No dragging speeches. No extended intermission. No unnecessary fillers. Just 120 minutes of spectacle. And unlike past years, there was no basketball game after. The ceremonies ended when they ended. Short. Sweet. Done.
But dazzling.
When Victor Cuenco and Junjet Primor are at the helm, you expect fireworks. And they delivered. The production was Sinulog-like —grand, colorful, alive. Students representing the 16 Cesafi schools wore bright costumes. The music thumped. The dancers twirled. The Cebu Coliseum glittered.
Beside me sat Felix “Boy” Tiukinhoy, Jr., Cesafi’s commissioner since the league’s birth in 2001. Midway through, I noticed him leave his front-row seat. Moments later, I knew why.
It was the Torch Relay Ceremony. On the giant LED wall flashed a livestream. Tiukinhoy appeared on screen, carrying the Cesafi torch. He walked from the dugout, entered the coliseum, and was greeted with thunderous applause. The torch was passed to Cesafi president Atty. Augusto Go. But how to “light” it without fire?
Brilliance. With host Tom Candy leading a countdown, Atty. Go pressed the torch against the LED wall. Instantly, a flame ignited. The arena erupted. A creative, safe, and symbolic gesture.
Then came the most-awaited portion: Ms. Cesafi. Last year, I sat at the judges’ table, one of three tasked with choosing the queen. This time, I leaned back and enjoyed the show. (Among this year’s judges was DepEd’s Rene Ferolino.)
The cheers shook the coliseum when the high school and college candidates paraded around the court — its wooden parquet covered by a blue Taraflex-like surface.
But the highlight? The finale. A massive dance number that brought together almost all 16 schools. Perfectly choreographed, it was a spectacle that could rival even the UAAP openings. Beside me sat Don Sombrio, one of my closest friends in Cebu sports and the man leading Cebu’s archery programs. He nodded in approval. I did, too.
This was Cesafi’s 25th year. A silver anniversary. Expectations were high. The show did not disappoint.
But the real star? The venue itself.
The Cebu Coliseum has long been criticized for one thing: heat. Watch a PBA exhibition game and you’re guaranteed a sweaty back. Attend a Donnie Nietes boxing fight and the shirt sticks. For decades, “init” defined the place.
Not last Saturday. Midway through the program, seated near Atty. Leo Malagar of UP and CIT-U’s Bernard Villamor, I noticed Candice Gotianuy, the daughter of Atty. Gus Go.
Candice pulled out a jacket and offered it to her father. Imagine that. Instead of wiping sweat, the Cesafi president had to keep warm.
Cold. At the Cebu Coliseum.
What a fitting gift for Cesafi’s 25th birthday.
Short. Sweet. Cold. And unforgettable.