I AGREE with the observation of veteran television journalist Julius Babao of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol and MUP fame that many of the country’s former boxers are in dire need of financial help, citing in particular Rolando Navarette, the ex-world junior lightweight champion, who is now impoverished and always gets into trouble.
In his column in the tabloid Bulgar, Babao cited an urgent appeal from the cash-strapped Games and Amusements Board for more monetary contribution to the Disabled Boxers’ Trust Fund, which is now running low.
“The disabled boxers’ fund is down to only P600,000,” Babao quoted his sources at the GAB as saying. “There are more than 100 ex-boxers who are asking for financial help and we simply could not accommodate all of them, that’s why the GAB is appealing to influential politicians, including sports patron First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, for financial assistance to boost the boxers’ trust fund.”
I have no problem with that appeal for contribution because that is one way of increasing the badly depleted boxers’ trust fund and helping our long suffering prizefighters. It has also been suggested that another way of raising more money for the trust fund is by reviving the PSA Fiesta Fistiana.
But since I have already sort of lost my love for pro boxing, I am passing off this suggestion to those who are in a better position to help like the Philippine Sportswriters Association headed by Jimmy Cantor of Malaya, GAB chair Eric Buhain, longtime manager-promoter Gov. Raul Daza of the Philippine Boxing Association, international promoter Jun Sarreal and Rex Wakee Salud, a close buddy of Manny Pacquiao.
An annual boxing event very much popular in the 1960s, the Fiesta Fistiana is a tax-free charity card for the benefit of destitute and disabled Filipino boxers. The great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde used to regularly appear in the Fistiana and donated a portion of his purses to the boxers’ fund.
Dormant for several years, the Fistiana was revived by the PSA on Nov. 9, 1996, with the backing of House Speaker Jose de Venecia, then Senior Deputy Speaker and now Northern Samar Gov. Raul Daza, former GAB chair Dominador Cepeda, lawyer Rudy Salud, then Philippine Sports Commission chair Philip Ella Juico, veteran radioman Ben Aniceto, the late Armando Besa of the Philippine Boxing Association, lawyer-CPA Antonio Lucero and the accountants of Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co. who audited the Fistiana proceeds for free.
A huge financial success, the Fistiana raised more than P800,000 for the Disabled Filipino Trust Fund. But more importantly, by submitting itself to an audit, the PSA set a good example for all fund-raisers. The SGV audit elicited a favorable response from all sectors, including the PSA’s generous sponsors, among them San Miguel Corp., Pagcor, PLDT, former Manila Mayor and now Sen. Alfredo Lim, Philippine Airlines, Ernie Yu’s Family Rubbing Alcohol, Hotel Rembrandt and Hotel Dusit Nikko.
Rico Siodora of Cagayan de Oro City pounded out a sensational 11th round TKO of highly favored American champion Cedric Mingo to wrest the World Boxing Federation featherweight crown in the top bout of the Fistiana. No less than President Fidel V. Ramos joined a capacity crowd who watched the fights at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Among the needy ex-boxers who received financial assistance were former World Boxing Council junior lightweight champ Rolando Navarette, three-time world title contender Pretty Boy Lucas, the late WBC junior welterweight title-holder Pedro Adigue, Fred Basa, Benjamin Carillo, Rey Tam, Dommy Ursua, Al Asuncion, Leonardo Gueguira a.k.a. Leo Zulueta; Tito Abella, Ben Escobar, Tito Zardo, Winnie Galero, Mario Arispe and Monico Gallego.
In their independent financial report, SGV accountants said in part: “We have audited the statement of cash receipts and disbursements of the 1996 Fiesta Fistiana. We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement.
“In our opinion, the statement referred to presents fairly, in all material respects, the statement of cash receipts and disbursements of the 1996 Fiesta Fistiana, as carried in the accounts maintained by the Fund.”
