Latagaw Cup

The 2012 London Olympics will officially open tomorrow and 11 of our countrymen will be carrying the tricolors of the Philippines in their quest for gold.

For the sake of those who do not know our athletes in the 2012 Olympics, they are swimmers Jasmine Alkaldi and Jessie Khing Lacuna, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skeet shooter Brian Rosario, boxer Mark Barriga, BMX biker Daniel Caluag, steeplechaser Rene Herrera, long jumper Marestella Torres, archers Rachel Anne Cabral and Mark Javier, and judoka Tomohiko Hoshina.

They have a Facebook page – Philippines Go for Golf 2012 Olympics, which you can also use to follow how our athletes are doing.

Go Philippines!

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I received a text message the other day from Aaron Astor, who was one of my teammates in the UP Cebu volleyball team many years ago.

Aaron, who is a member of the Latagaw Brotherhood, said that their fraternity is turning 40 years old this weekend. Although the organization is better known for the Latagaw Cup basketball tournament in Cebu, in UP Diliman in Quezon City, they are known for promoting camaraderie through football.

The Latagaw Cup football tournament in Diliman was first held in 1982 and was a brainchild of Sonny Tiro, Joemen Ebuna, and Carlo Bernas.

This may have been in Manila, but when I read through the history, I noted a very familiar name – Al Coloyan of Cebu, who was then the kapatas of their fraternity.

The tournament was played at the Sunken Garden, which now even has a team bearing its name in the United Football League. The reason was that it was a place that was accessible to many and the organizers also wanted to make the place livelier.

By 1986, the tournament became the premiere sporting event in UP Diliman.

In UP Cebu, I remember the Latagaw Cup basketball tournament, which my fraternity, the UP Tao Brotherhood, won in 1989 or 1990. 

It was memorable because I never played basketball in any other event in school except in the Latagaw Cup playing alongside my brothers Bobet Torreon, our center Christopher Tio, Andrew Cañete, Tirso ‘Jinggoy’ Roa, Emerson Subong, and a few others.

Some of the members of Latagaw then were also my teammates like Wilson de la Calzada, who was also in the school’s volleyball team, and Stefan Sulay of our judo team.

Congratulations to the members of the Latagaw Brotherhood on your 40th anniversary. Among my closest friends from your group are Manoy Lou Coloyan, Kuyas Joel Garganera, Clarence Torcio and Filmore Gomos, and of course Jesse Bernad aside from Aaron, Wilson and Stefan.

I hope that you will continue to promote sports in the various campuses of our alma mater.

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MILESTONES: Happy birthday to Cebu City South District Rep. Tommy Osmeña and to my former classmate Philip Canora, who are both turning a year older today.

Advance greetings to Dawn Faith ‘Ating’ Homacheulos-Santos, Sir Ricardo ‘RJ’ Liwanag, Mare Bunagan, and my mistah Lt. Col. Florante Sison, who are celebrating tomorrow.

Belated greetings to Dean Nona Bacatan-Suerte of CIT-U, who turned a year older yesterday.

Congratulations also to the new officers of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu PTA led by Kenneth Leonardo, who will be sworn into office tomorrow.

More power to all of you!