Memorable SEA Games opening rites

Not even the news of the deadly landmine blast and ambush of government troops in Iloilo province across the Guimaras Strait has dampened the enthusiasm of Negrenses during the opening ceremonies of the Southeast Asian Games Saturday.

Talks briefly centered on what happened in Iloilo and, of course, its implications for the rest of Western Visayas. But it did not deter the crowd from focusing on the football matches at the Panaad Park and Stadium and at the refurbished Paglaum Stadium.

By Sunday morning, talks are still centered on the impressive "world class" SEA Gamea opening rites, which was attended by top dignitaries.

The toast of the crowd was Rogelie Ferrer Pell, the former star sprinter from Negros Occidental who surprised the crowd with her stamina as she carried the two-kilogram SEA Games torch. For a brief moment, the crowd was breathless wondering if the 70-year-old Pell could manage her assigned chore. But the slim and indefatigable Rogie, as she is known to most Negrenses, went through her chore with aplomb and got a rousing cheer.

Married to an American, Rogie now lives in the Bay area in San Francisco, USA. She was invited to carry the torch in its final leg by Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella.

The Panaad Park and Stadium was literally filled to the rafters with cheering Negrenses. The rites were impressive. Tan Due Cueng, goal keeper of the Vietnam football team, said the welcome rites were fantastic, comparing it to the enthusiastic atmosphere of the 22nd SEA Games held in Vietnam in 2003.

Among the most applauded VIPs in the crowd were Prince Neredon Buddhapong of Cambodia, Philippines Olympics president Jose Cojuangco, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch (William) Ramirez, Philippine Sports Commissioner Ritchie Garcia, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Mararon, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Rep. Puentevella.

Cojuangco said we need to host the event well for the sake of friendship and to show brotherhood and unity among Southeast Asian nations.

Maranon, for his part, said the biennial meet will foster unity among Filipinos and is actually an opportunity for Negrenses to promote their warmth and hospitality.

Actually, he said Negrenses should consider it a milestone since it Bacolod is hosting the event for the first time. Bacolod City will actually be in the limelight in the next to weeks as it hosts the men’s football, the most popular sports in the world.

BASOC, the local coordinating committee of the SEA Games, rescinded its earlier decision to charge entrance fees at the Panaad Park and Stadium. That must have brought the big crowd to the opening rites.

Many of those who attended the ceremonies did not expect such a big crowd, including some of the participating officials and coaches.

The "world class" presentation featured the Kaanyang Pilipinas Dance Company and the Kabataang Rondalla of Silay City, which won recently in the regional NAMCYA contest for Rondalla.

Zenaida Parco, secretary of the Bacolod Capitol Lions Club who attended the opening rites in Panaad, said she felt proud of the presentation. Other Lions officials also said the same.

Mrs. Pell was accompanied by the Sampinit Tribe of Bago, the John Leason College Foundation cadets, University of St. La Salle Pepe Squad, the Kalingaw Repertory, Anne Marie Seva, and Mae Castillo dance companies, and the Negros Occidental High School volunteers who comprised the torch run.

The Masskara Dancers actually wowed the crowd with their impressive performance. Repeatedly they drew applause from the crowd when they performed their fan dances. The display of lights was equally impressive and gave added luster to the opening rites’ ambiance.

Later, Cojuangco, Ramires, Puentevella, Maranon and Leonardia did the ceremonial kick off of the football games.

Sunday, Laos thrilled the crowd at the Paglaum Sports Complex when it pulled an upset over Myanmar, 3-2. Vietnam later also nipped pre-tournament favorite Singapore, 2-1, before a crowd estimated at about 8,000.

All the major hotels and inns in Bacolod had been fully booked by the participating delegations. This was something that lifted the spirit of Bacolod and Negros officials who consider the games as a major tourism draw.

Well, for the next two weeks, all eyes will be on the SEA Games in this part of the country.

Insurgency dialogue

The death of nine soldiers and the wounding of 20 others in the Calinog, Iloilo ambush Saturday night could presage a resurgence of the insurgency problem, which had considerably weakened in the past decade.

It was the deadliest attack by the New People’s Army and the worst such incident in two years in Region 6. Among the fatalities were members of the First Scout Ranger Batallion, under Lt. Col. Noel Buan. He was held captive by the rebels for months but was released in April 2000.

Lt. Col. Jefferson Omandan, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s Central Command in Cebu City, said it was also the worst in terms of casualties.

The soldiers were on board two trucks. They were returning from a combat operation in the Calinog-Tapaz (Capiz) to the 47th Infantry Batallion headquarters in Calinog when the two landmines blew up and hit the first vehicle, an Elf. Immediately, the rebels fired at the soldiers. But troopers in the second truck, managed to fire back immediately, which triggered an hour-long firefight.

The rebels reportedly used command-detonated mines, which explode only when triggered and not upon contact.

The rebel group were believed to be under the NPA’s Jose Percival Estocada Jr. Command of the Central Front Committee operating in northern Iloilo and parts of Capiz.

The executive committee of the CPP had earlier issued directives to NPA units to launch a nationwide intensified attacks against government troops and the Arroyo administration "for worsening the lives of the people through its policies."

ADDENDA: Grenpeace volunteers arrived here on board Rainbow Warrior to pay tribute to the climate change fighters of Pulupandan and Negros Occidental, who prevented the building here of a coal-powered plant. The Greenpeace volunteers also vowed to pursue their fight against coal-powered plants in Iloilo, Cebu and the rest of the country. Pulupandan residents, led by Mayor Luis Mondia, welcomed the Greenpeace volunteers. Red Constantinto, Greenpeace regional climate and energy campaigner, said the example of Negros Occidental and Pulupandan in stopping the construction of a coal-powered plant should serve as a model for other areas now under threat of more coal-powered plants... Another tragic incident: Two persons were killed while 10 others were injured when a Nissan Frontier van hit a residence and videoke house in Barnaga Salvacion, Murcia town Saturday night. The Nissan Frontier was reportedly driven by Edwin Goite of Tindaloa Shopping Center in Bacolod City. Goite reportedly failed to control the steering wheel, which prompted the vehicle to jump off to the left portion of the road and hit the house of Angelito Cortez and the videoke house of Alan Lamprea. Dead on arrival at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod were Rosario Lamprea, 36, and videoke bar’s Gerry Sainga, 21. Goite and others injured in the incident are still undergoing treatment at the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod.