It was a timely Christmas gift for the Filipino people, after years of waiting and longing for something positive to happen that would uplift their aching hearts, the overall championship in the recently concluded SEA games did just that.
Our exalted leader, although trying all he can to bring us to the promised land, appears to be fumbling at every turn, and then covers up his “mistakes” with threats, curses and other harsh words.
More effective, I suppose, than contrived excuses.
As expected, the victorious Gilas men’s basketball team were just too good, given the large margins of victory in every game.
But the big surprise was the women’s Gilas basketball five, taking the gold for the very first time, which in the past, alternated between Thailand and Malaysia.
The darlings of the crowd, the women’s volleyball team, didn’t do as well, losing to the Indons in the bronze medal fight for third place.
But their ever-supportive fans were with them all the way, lustily applauding every point won, and shouting themselves hoarse each time our girls rallied to tie the count.
But do you know of any country in the world whose athlete won a gold after graduating summa cum laude – sa UP pa, mantakin mo.
Beauty, brains, and brawn is what Jamie Lim has.
The closest I know is another UP graduate, topping the board examinations for architects after finishing her studies at the state U., magna cum laude, later crowned Miss Philippines, and made it top three in the Miss Universe.
Take a bow too, Arch. Shamcey Supsup.
The men’s volleyball team went all the way to the finals, but was too fogged out after winning a good number of close games, and didn’t have enough gas left in the gold medal race.
And let’s not forget Roger Casugay. Never mind all that hype that he gave up a medal finish to help an Indon surfer from suffering further injury after he fell into the water.
He left the race to help a fellow surfer is more than enough. E.Q. at its highest.
The very first Filpino to win an Olympic gold will be a woman.
Hidilyn Diaz will take the gold in her weightlifting event in the Tokyo Olympics. The girl is all primed and ready, and she knows what the stakes are.
More than the money and other rewards, a grateful nation will remember her forever, and history books will place her in the annals with other heroes like Rizal and Bonifacio.
That’s how eager we are to win an Olympic gold medal, considering that we are probably one of a few others whose national anthem has yet to be played in the entire history of the Olympics.
But back to Rodrigo Duterte, and back to Earth here at home.
Christmas is in the air, but if the price of galunggong compared to beef is to be the gauge, the economy, alas, like the country itself, isn’t doing too well, and has even sparked a word war, where the high and the mighty, as well as the ignorant, venture their own opinions on how to handle the problem.
Oh, well.
Anyway, too, Congress is back to its old tricks, inspired perhaps by the spirit of the season – where there’s lechon, hamon, crispy pata, and pinooran aplenty – have integrated pork in their congressional menu.
Ah, but how else can they make bawi their campaign expenses.
My son Marc says we should go down to Manila to await the birth of his first niece and my first granddaughter.
But I am thinking about the traffic. This far, no one has come up with a feasible solution on how to solve the mess.
All those bright boys can wrack their brains and stay up all night long discussing the problem, and still not come up with anything.
But not in Baguio. Former congressman and city mayor Bernie Vergara has come up with a plan that would hopefully solve but would surely ease the traffic puzzle.
But there are still a few kinks that need to be ironed out, but next week, we will feature Bernie’s traffic solution, together with the inputs of some friends, who, like Bernie and I, are Baguio lovers.
Mahal namin ang Baguio is what it is, naughty, naughty, you.
At our ages, we are beyond that, but our love for the city is forever.
If you are a Baguio boy, you know exactly what I mean.
Next week then, and a Merry Christmas to all true-blue Baguio boys!
P.S. Let’s try not to get ahead ourselves. The SEA Games participants were mostly third-world countries, still on the verge of getting up on their feet.
But we will take the victory and glory anytime.
