SPECIAL REPORT: How the GAB Iloilo office was conceived
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Jul 2006
ILOILO CITY -- It was in the afternoon of May 6, 2006 when Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Commissioner Alex Paglumotan broached the idea to a group of Ilonggo professional sports leaders in a simple forum at the Robinsons Mall here of putting up a GAB extension office in this city “to serve the Ilonggo athletes who want to turn professionals and who intend to apply for a license.”
Paglumotan, a former vice mayor of Bacolod City, was on his first Iloilo sortie since being appointed as GAB commissioner last year, replacing another Ilonggo, lawyer Emmanuel Palabrica.
“I always have a conversion with Chairman (Eric) Buhain that we will bring the government to the people, not the people to government,” he enthused as he urged the sportsmen to “organize and secure a license (with out office).”
SEEK AN AUDIENCE
Paglumotan, elected number one Bacolod City councilor in 1998, said he had been planning to “seek an audience” with Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez, Jr. to ask him to provide an office here for the GAB sub-office but he would always miss the neophyte congressman in Manila “by the skin of the teeth.”
At this juncture, Iloilo Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay President and Provincial Board Ex-Officio Member Angel Briones, who was among those in attendance, whispered to this writer: “Lex, puede man dira nalang sa building namon sa Liga kay bakante man ang groundfloor. (Lex, we can use the ground floor of our building in the Liga which is vacant anyway).”
This writer then replied to Briones, “Hambalon ko si Commissioner (I will inform the Commissioner).”
Before Paglumotan wrapped up his speech, this writer raised his hand and signaled to the commissioner that Briones wanted to say something regarding the subject matter. He then acknowledged Briones who stood up and, without much ado, offered the P2-million Liga ng mga Barangay building at the back of the Iloilo Sports Complex in Brgy. Magsaysay, La Paz district here.
DONATIONS FROM MIRIAM
Briones explained that it was Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a native of La Paz district, who donated the P2-mllion for the construction of the building that sits beside the river. He had to beg for more donations from other Good Samaritans, he said, in order to complete the construction of the three-storey edifice that still needs some filling materials.
Briones, a black belter and true-blue boxing enthusiast, stressed that his wards, mostly amateur boxers intending to turn professional from the fifth district of Iloilo (composed of municipalities of Ajuy, Estancia, Sara, Barotac Viejo, Concepcion, Batad, Balasan, Estancia, Banate) would find it hard to secure a license as they need to cross the sea in going to Bacolod or Cebu, where the GAB’s other extension offices are located in the Visayas,
Professional athletes in the country used to secure their licenses from the GAB main office in Makati until the opening of an extension office in Cebu City and subsequently in Bacolod City which was inaugurated during the term of former GAB chairman Eduardo Villanueva who is from Bacolod City like Paglumotan.
Briones’ offer was certainly music to Paglumotan’s ears as he vowed to immediately relay the “good” news to Chairman Buhain.
“I’m very sure Chairman Buhain will be very happy about this,” hissed Paglumotan who was grinning from ear to ear while packing to leave.
Since then, Paglumotan burned the lines from his Makati office as he requested this writer to accompany him when he pays a visit to Iloilo Gov. Niel D. Tupas, Sr. “upon my return from Chicago” where he attended the Women International Boxing Association (WIBA) Commissioners Meeting presided by President Ryan Wissow from May 12-17.
MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR
On May 29, Paglumotan returned to Iloilo for an appointment with Governor Tupas who ushered the group that included Board Member Briones and this writer to a conference room.
After a brief recollection of their past associations (Paglumotan, then a Bombo Radyo anchorman in Bacolod City, first met the then Congressman Niel D. Tupas at the height of the controversy involving the kidnapping and murder of prominent Negros businesswoman Roberta Cokin in the early 90’s), Paglumotan outlined the mechanics of the proposed office as the governor listened intently.
Governor Tupas then suggested that both the GAB and the Provincial Government should forge a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to iron out some kinks in the deal.
The conversation was followed by Paglumotan’s calling by cellular phone Chairman Buhain who talked briefly to Gov. Tupas for the first time. After pledging to walk their talk, so to speak, and to contribute for the success of the proposed building, we then hied off to the Governor’s office for a series of souvenir photo sessions.
As he wont to do after his first visit in Iloilo, Paglumotan again burned the lines from his Makati office and regularly requested this writer to follow up the MOA drafted by the GAB Legal Office and sent earlier to the Office of the Governor.
Briones informed this writer that the MOA had been forwarded to the Provincial Legal Office for review before being by Governor Tupas.
The MOA was finally approved and signed by both parties in time for the arrival of Paglumotan from China where he attended the joint World Boxing Empire (WBE)-WIBA Meeting in July 15-18, 2006.
As we write this piece, both Chairman Buhain and Commissioner Paglumotan were scheduled to arrive here to join Governor Tupas and Board Member Briones, among other public and sports officials, to inaugurate the GAB Iloilo office scheduled at 10 o’clock in the morning of July 25, 2006.
And the rest is now history.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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