Another successful contest

The other day, the winners of our Christmas contest claimed their prizes at The Philippine Star office in Port Area. We’ve been running contests in The Star’s sports section for over two decades and it’s incredible that this year’s first prize winner is the son of our first prize winner in 2001.

Jose Eduardo Noel, 34, accompanied his father Ramon, now 69, at The Star office in 2001 to collect his prize. Their photograph appeared in The Star newspaper 14 years ago. And last Tuesday, Jose showed up to claim his prize with clippings of The Star issues in 2001 on his father winning first prize in the Christmas contest. What a gratifying thought that The Star’s patronage has passed on from one generation to another.

Jouard, a math major, is a free lance real estate salesman but devotes nearly all his waking hours as caregiver of his mother who is currently undergoing hemodialysis. It would’ve been a treat if his father came along to The Star office. After all, they were together claiming first prize in 2001. But Jouard’s father, a pastor, stayed home to look after his mother since he went to The Star.

In 2001, this was what his father received as the first prize winner – a Talk ‘N’ Text cellphone from Mobiline, Adidas indoor/outdoor basketball, San Miguel Corp. wristwatch, Nike stress ball, RFM groceries basket, Alaska autographed basketball, Converse cap, Purefoods fisherman’s cap, Red Bull basketball, Red Bull collared shirt, San Miguel sports bag, San Miguel jacket, Adidas soccer ball, San Mig Light T-shirt, 10 bottles of Shark energy drink, Shark collared T-shirt and a P5,000 gift certificate from USA Sports.

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Here’s what Jouard received as the first prize winner this year – P50,000 in cash, San Miguel Corp. gift pack worth P500, San Miguel Corp. gift pack worth P800, Powerade Ion drink, Rain Or Shine umbrella and “Magilas” T-shirt, Gatorade cap, Gatorade squeeze bottle, Gatorade low-carb thirst quencher, Ever Bilena products, Philippine Star T-shirt, magazines from Emerald Headway, Alaska Aces 30th anniversary magazine, San Mig T-shirt, FEU championship T-shirt, ALA Gym T-shirt, Ana Julaton autographed T-shirt, Alaska jersey, Metro Pacific blue-tooth speakers, ALA Gym jacket, Alaska cap, Gosen badminton racket, Meralco bag, Star Hotshots backpack, Nike backpack, Adidas bag, Molten basketball, Mikasa volleyball, Maynilad T-shirt, Maynilad PhilPop CD, San Mig Light case (24 cans), PLDT travel luggage, PBA 2015 Hardcourt Annual, UAAP Season ‘78 T-shirt, Easy Trip E-pass from NLEX, Metro Pacific Tollways T-shirt and Manila North Tollways calendar.

Jouard’s entry had a clipping of The Star’s masthead of the Dec. 7, 2015, issue. He answered the three questions correctly – Greg Slaughter as the tallest PBA player in the Philippine Cup this season, FEU as the UAAP champion, Letran as the NCAA champion and University of San Carlos as the CESAFI champion in senior men’s basketball and Eric Cray as the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

On why he reads the sports section of The Star, Jouard said: “I get a lot of insights and depth about copious players’ lives, behind the scenes, history and activities of both local and international sports. Concerns are also addressed and placed on the menu for fans like me to ponder about and give it a second thought, just like the Samboy Lim issue.”

On what he’d like to happen in Philippine sports in 2016, he said: “I would wish and pray that our athletes get more international exposure for better competition, feel, experience and knowledge of what it takes to genuinely compete and win at a higher level. This won’t happen without the absolute and transparent support of our government that currently hampers our athletes from focus on their respective sports. Lastly, equal treatment for every sport. This may be a shot in the dark due to various factors and concerns but still, our gold mine may just be that particular sport we’ve been taking for granted all this time.”

Aside from Jouard, we picked 19 other winners who received prizes. The second prize winner Leo Torres was given P30,000 in cash and goods. The third prize winner Valentino Pecaoco took P20,000 in cash and goods. The fourth to eighth prize winners received P1,000 in SM gift certificates and goods each. The complete list of winners was published in this column last Thursday.

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The contest wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our donors. Thank you to the PSC for P50,000 in cash through chairman Richie Garcia, the Herma Group for P15,000 in cash through CEO Hermie Esguerra, Globalport for P15,000 in cash through CEO Mikee Romero and PBA vice chairman Erick Arejola, POC for P10,000 in cash through president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and first vice president Joey Romasanta, GAB for P5,000 in cash through chairman Monju Guanzon, the ALA Group for P5,000 in cash through CEO Tony Aldeguer, Philippine Taekwondo Association for P5,000 SM gift certificates through chairman Robert Aventajado, San Miguel Corp. for five cases of San Mig Light in can, 25 gift packs worth P500 each and 25 gift packs worth P800 each through vice president Kin Lichuaco, assistant vice president Mary Jane Llanes and PBA chairman Robert Non, Alaska for five Alaska Aces magazines, two jerseys, 10 T-shirts and five caps through Aces team manager Dickie Bachmann.

 NLEX for 10 Easy Trip packs, 10 calendars and 10 T-shirts through president Rod Franco and Road Warriors team manager Allan Gregorio, Barangay Ginebra for two boxes of GSM Blue and 10 T-shirts through PBA governor Alfrancis Chua, Rain Or Shine for 25 umbrellas and 120 “magilas” T-shirts through PBA governor Atty. Mamerto Mondragon, Purefoods Star Hotshots for two backpacks and 10 championship T-shirts through PBA governor Rene Pardo, the PBA for 10 T-shirts, five Molten basketballs and 10 Hardcourt Annuals through president/CEO Chito Salud, commissioner Chito Narvasa and media bureau chief Willie Marcial, Ever Bilen for assorted Blackwater products for men and women through CEO Dioceldo Sy, LARC and ASSET for 20 UAAP Season ’78 T-shirts through Tessa Jasminez, the MVP Group for PLDT sports bag, PLDT travel luggage, American Home induction cooker, five Meralco bags, three Maynilad stuffed toys, Metro Pacific umbrella, Metro Pacific T-shirt, Metro Pacific body bag and two Metro Pacific blue-tooth speakers through executive assistant to the chairman Abet Dungo, La Salle for 10 players jerseys through Office of Sports Development director Nongnong Calanog, Ana Julaton for three autographed T-shirts.

Sonia Trading for six Molten basketballs, six Mikasa volleyballs and four Gosen badminton rackets through CEO Anil Buxani, Emerald Headway for magazines through Cristina Aspiras, SBP for 10 umbrellas and five T-shirts through executive director Sonny Barrios, Maynilad and MVP Sports Foundation for gift packs and T-shirts through president Ricky Vargas and foundation executive director Patricia Hizon, Bodyworx for one box of oranges through Kathy Lim Uy, Gatorade for two cases of low-carb thirst quencher, 25 caps and 25 squeeze bottles, The Philippine Star for 20 T-shirts through vice president Tammy Mendoza, One of a Kind Marketing for Under Armour products amounting to P46,105, Nike for products through country marketing manager Patrick Reyes, Green Bulb Public Relations for three cases of Powerade through Con Cabrera, FEU for 15 championship T-shirts through Tamaraws team owner/UAAP Board representative Anton Montinola and Lamoiyan Corp. through CEO Dr. Cecilio Pedro.