MANAPLA town Mayor Lourdes Escalante asked her fellow local chief executives to help fight drugs through massive promotion of sports in the grassroots.
“This is a challenge for all of us (municipal and city mayors) because when we bring sports to our constituents especially to the youth, we are helping them deal with their lives. We provide them time to enjoy as well as put them away from these dangerous drugs,” said Escalante, who offered part of their family’s land as sports facility.
The mayor spoke at the opening of the Negros First Governor Alfredo Marañon Inter-Hacienda Softball League at the Hda. Lourdes Ballpark on Saturday.
Escalante added that the event has brought in great opportunities for the Manaplahanons who have loved softball and who are also good at it.
“We are reviving this sport because I know that this just needs some boost,” she said.
Escalante also thanked Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Second District Representative Leo Rafael Cueva, Board Members Salvador Escalante and Samson Mirhan as well as Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante and Sagay City Mayor Alfredo Marañon III and other local officials for supporting the project.
Former town Mayor Manolet Escalante also called on other local chief executives to help make the event bigger and become a province-wide undertaking.
Provincial Sports Coordinator Angel Verdeflor said the event shows how Governor Marañon supports the sports development program in the province.
Twelve teams grouped in two will battle it out for the top prizes.
The champion will receive P10,000; first runner-up, P7,000; and second runner-up, P5,000. Losing teams will get P2,000 each.
Bracket A is composed of Domingo Lacson National High School, Cadiz Punta Salong, Guin-olayan Dapdap, Hacienda Gaston, Cadiz Sluggers, and host-Hacienda Lourdes.
Bracket B includes Hacienda Laguda, Hacienda Dos Hermanos, Hacidenda Cuaycong, Hacienda Nahulog/Barangay1A, Hacienda Guin-olayan and Barangay Burgos in Cadiz City.
In the opening day, Burgos batters forced Hacienda Laguda in regulation, 13-6 after the fifth inning. Laguda was up by three in the upper first but the nine runs of Burgos in the lower innings brought them a comfortable lead.
Both teams went scoreless in the second inning as Burgos extended their lead in the lower third with two. Laguda scored three more runs in the next two innings but, not enough to sustain their comeback attempt as Burgos also scored two runs.
In the second game, Cuaycong also forced Guinolayan into a sixth inning regulation, 15-8 while the Singapore-bound and defending Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Lacsonians survived the hard fighting home team of Hacienda Lourdes led by veteran pitcher Freddie Posadas.
Supervising the event is multi-titled softball coach Antonio Oquindo Jr.
