THE SCENE AROUND

The Manila Bulletin
Sports section

Sundowners and Friends
Ed Picson

People who listen intently to my commentary in television sports coverages would probably know that I am a Leyteño. I was born in Tacloban City, the capital of the province of Leyte. Although I left at the age of 6 and since then have resided in Metro Manila, I regularly go back there for vacations, family reunions and sometimes for no reason at all except to be home.

What some people don’t know is that Leyte is actually divided into two provinces, Leyte – which includes the towns and 2 cities in the northern, northeastern and northwestern portions of the island and Southern Leyte (three, if you consider Biliran, which used to belong to Leyte but has since been declared a separate province). Also, that not all Leyteños are Warays, because although most natives of Leyte do speak Waray-Waray, those from the portions facing the provinces of Cebu and Bohol speak Cebuano. People in Southern Leyte are Cebuano speaking.
I myself am a product of both cultures and can speak both dialects because my mother was from Tacloban (Waray) and my father was from Hindang, a Cebuano-speaking town along the western coastline of Leyte. Hindang is closer geographically to Southern Leyte.

So when I heard of the tragedy in St. Bernard town, Southern Leyte, I immediately called a good friend and fellow golfer, Mayor Virgilio "Boy" Mortera of San Juan (formerly Cabalian, which St. Bernard used to be a part of). He was at the site in Guinsaugon and what he related to me was not pretty. He also informed me that he was taking care of several kids from the disaster area who study in San Juan, and who now had no homes and families to return to.
I asked him what I could do to help, and he told me they needed clothes, blankets, toiletries and medicines in a hurry. I told him I was going to gather some stuff, but I knew that my contribution was not going to go very far so I made a few calls, then the idea hit upon me to call on my golfer-friends.

My group at Veterans Golf Club – the Sundowners – responded in a big way on one day’s notice. Our president, Gerry Gonzales texted all the members on Tuesday and since Wednesday is our playing day, asked people to bring their donations then. I asked Col. Reynaldo A. Romero (PA, Ret.), the General Manager of Veterans if we could set up a table at the clubhouse lobby to accept donations and he readily agreed.

I called up Jojo Laviña of Air 21/Fedex to ask if they could help in transporting the goods to Leyte and he relayed my request to Air 21 President Lito Alvarez who said yes right away, and even had the goods picked up that same night at Veterans.
Actually, I didn’t expect much because of the short notice, but the Sundowners and friends delivered in a big way. The clubhouse lobby became cramped with bundles of donations, clothes (old and new), blankets, canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soap, and footwear even.

I realize they gave without thought of being given credit, but I feel they deserve mention. Those who brought goods were: Sundowners Caloy Reyes, Mai Gonzalez, Buddy Jose, exMayor Baby Isip, Eric Illescas, ex-Councilor Emil Tamayo, Waldo Gelli and Atty. Bert Neri; friends like Sev Sarmenta, Anthony Suntay, Dominic Uy, Dennis Principe, Bo Perasol, Norby and Nana de Ramos, Lito Pua, Edgar Madamba, Tito Caballa and Owen Lee.

We tried to discourage cash donations because we were wary of people who get suspicious when money is involved, but some were insistent they wanted to help, but didn’t have goods they could scrounge up in a hurry. They were Gerry Gonzalez (R5,000), Bobby Villarosa (R5,000), Orly Francisco (R5,000), Botong Tecson (R3,000), Eddie Enriquez (R1,000), Bong Joven (R1,000), Ambeth Ayroso (R600), Serge Fajardo (R200), Benjie Jose (R200) and Tito Dumaral (R100).

As agreed upon, since most of the cash donors were Sundowners, the club will use the money (total of R21,100) to buy more medicines and groceries the survivors and rescuers need.
In behalf of the people of St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, daghang salamat kaninyong tanan!