WHEN Manny “Pareng Gob” Pi?ol, the feisty governor of North Cotabato province, leaves the country next month, it will be for two reasons. One, to be at ringside when Manny Pacquiao fights Eric Morales in Las Vegas on March 19. Two, to proceed to Cuba after the fight.
“I’ve always been a boxing buff and, for that matter, I never miss any opportunity to watch a big fight, especially if our own Manny Pacquiao himself is doing the fighting,” said Pareng Gob, who was a hard-hitting Tempo sports columnist in the ’80s before he entered politics and became mayor of M’lang town in 1995. He ran for governor and won in 1998 and is now on his third and last term as North Cotabato’s governor.
Even as he wrote his well-loved column “Right Straight” back then twice a week with clockwork efficiency, he also did TV sportscasting on the side on some of the country’s most memorable fights. In fact, presently, he has his own TV boxing show weekly at NBN 4.
But what’s this trip to Cuba after the fight? Drink tequila and then dance the salsa with Fidel Castro?
“I’d love to do that but seriously, I will look for a coach to handle boxers that we’re now training for future international fights,” said Pi?ol, whose “Pareng Gob” weekly radio program is a hit in Mindanao for its straightforward manner of addressing the province’s problems. “I still believe that the Cubans are the best when it comes to training boxers with medal hopes in the Olympic Games.”
While his love for boxing is legend, his passion to translate words into action is the envy of many. Already, eight of his boxers have donned the national colors.
In a round of golf recently at The Country Club hosted by Benny Gopez, with Southeast Asian Games point man Roberto ?Obet? Pagdanganan also in attendance, Pi?ol bared his plan to put up a boxing training camp at the foot of Mt. Apo in Mindanao.
“It’s cool there, no pollution, no distraction, perfect for training for anyone determined to make a name in boxing,” he said.
The backbone of this huge boxing program is the “Govs for Gold” that Pareng Gob has penciled a while back.
I can see a big potential in the “Govs for Gold” project.
For one, it’s got money: Each governor has pledged P100,000 a year to bankroll the program. Since we have a total of 79 governors, that’d be a total of P7.9 million a year to finance the scheme.
For another, nobody I know can dispute the ability of our governors to realize the desired results of a vision as noble as the “Govs for Gold.”
I’ve seen Pi?ol work up close for more than a decade (I was also writing the sports column “Dugout” for Tempo during the years that he was with Tempo); his work ethic is simply amazing. Once he sets his mind to something, he’ll never stop until he achieves his objective.
Pi?ol is more than Mel Gibson the Brave Heart: A good boxer himself in his youth (he is one of 11 sons of a daughter-less schoolteacher), Pi?ol fights to the last drop of his blood. Always.
The “Govs for Gold” will be launched on March 4 in Tagbilaran City, where Bohol governor Erico Aumentado, the president of the Governors League of the Philippines, will play host to the nation’s 78 other governors.
“Please save that day in your calendar and join us to celebrate the birth of a historic moment in Philippine sports,” said Pi?ol.
I will keep that in mind, Pareng Gob.
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FASTBREAK. It’s Zenaida Baucan, not Bancan. My apologies to Aida, “the crush ng bayan during our time,” according to Hermie Rivera…Balikbayans Pino “Kanor” Tengasantos and Dan E. Nino, one of my dearest friends from our Beatles-laced days in high school, will say their farewell piece in a bash tonight at Kamayan West in Quezon City. Among the invited guests are Boying “Wali” Estrada, Dave “Shalopatit” Vela, General Romeo Alamillo, Tom Garcia, Mike S. Ramos, Dr. Jimmy Estrada, Julian “Comelec” Apostol and Boni M. Sison. All are members of KM (Kaaroy Mangatarem).
