The Philippine Racing Commission welcomes today a new commissioner who replaces recently resigned lawyer Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr.
Bagatsing, a former representative of Manila, has taken up the post of Philippine ambassador to the Republic of India with concurrent jurisdiction over the Kingdom of Nepal. Along with his brother Manila Rep. Amado S. Bagatsing, he founded the Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Sr. Racing Festival, one of the racing calendar’s most successful annual events. My warmest congratulations and best wishes for success to the industry’s beloved ‘Attorney Dondon’!
Philracom’s new commissioner is Dante Lantin. He was former chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation. His appointment papers were signed on Feb. 28. He will serve a four-year term.
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The Philracom Trainers Academy will open for training this year, and will accept applications only up to March 15, with the first class to start on April 18 at San Lazaro Leisure Park.
The Academy’s administrators are highly qualified experts—they are veterinarians Ceferino Maala, former assistant dean of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños College of Veterinary Medicine, and Romy G. Modomo, equine health practitioner.
The instructors are all capable and experienced in racing and animal health. Among them are veterinarians Alejandro Cambay, Peter Rojas, and Armando Escalante of Philracom; Ron Lameyra of Manila Jockey Club; and practitioner Mary Grace Sandoval. Other teachers are jockeys and trainers. I will be teaching Basic Communication Skills.
The Academy conducts the Racehorse Trainer certificate course, a two-year training with one year of coursework and one year apprenticeship. Philracom recently approved its Education and Training Program which will extend the Academy’s scope and allow it to offer a Racing Stewards certificate course and a Racing Grooms course.
The jockeys association, which runs a Jockeys Academy, will be cross-enrolling their students into the Philracom’s courses on equine anatomy, conformation and lameness, animal welfare, and Philippine horseracing rules and regulations.
The Philracom’s training arm aims to professionalize the occupations of trainer, steward, and groom, and equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to work here and abroad. More certificate courses might be added in the future.
For this year’s trainers course, the interview of applicants is on March 21 and the welcome orientation on April 15. To submit applications, call Philracom at 893-1453 and ask for Diding Estandian.
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