spot_img
26.1 C
Philippines
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Community pantry for athletes?

- Advertisement -

Community pantry for athletes?The community pantry program started by Patricia Non in Maginhawa, Quezon City has really taken off not only in Metro Manila but even in some provinces.

Simply put, it is a community project, where people can share what they have, while getting what they need in turn from these small, sometimes make-shift centers.

What is sad, however, is the alleged red-tagging of this project, linking it to the Communist Party of the Philippines and other leftist groups.

On the other hand, some local and national officials have also stated that they are supportive of this “bayanihan” project as it addresses the needs of the less privileged in this time of the pandemic.

- Advertisement -

Now why am I talking about this in a sports column?

The reason is, I just thought that maybe a community pantry can also be set up, this time for national athletes, many of whom are also suffering from lack of finances to meet their needs, not to mention their families who depend on them.

I believe athletes’ allowances have been reduced due to scarcity of funds. Remember that a big chunk of Philippine Sports Commission funding comes from PAGCOR  among others, and casinos have been hit too by the pandemic.

And I am sure the Philippine Sports Commission can provide space for this purpose and even initiate this as one of its programs to help athletes in their times of need. This also makes it easier to control the access to it as only national athletes should benefit from this. 

The PSC can also provide the manpower needed to man the pantry to be set up and operate it at certain hours and days during the week. Some athletes can also volunteer.

Of course, the hard part is the start up and the initial funding, but the PSC again can provide this while tapping other people to help out.

Who can be tapped?

For one, the well-off officials of the different National Sports Associations can pitch in. They have benefited for being sports officials in the past, in terms of travel abroad for one, and this will be a good time for them to pay back.

Individuals  and  companies, who love and support sports will be another potential source. Ramon Ang and the San Miguel Group, Manuel Pangilinan and his companies, the Ayala group, Jean Henri Lhuillier and the Cebuana Group, the Sy family of SM, Puregold, Fred Uytengsu and Alaska are some prospects, just to mention a few. What is a few thousands of pesos or some boxes of grocery items from them?

I do not know if this idea will interest the people concerned, but it is my belief that sharing in these hard times will resonate for a lot of people especially that it will benefit our national athletes.

For me, I would be willing to help out. After all, sports has been good to me with the more than four decades I have been involved with it, which is also one reason why I know that majority of athletes definitely do not belong to the upper class of society.

In fact, they hope to improve their lot by being athletes. Come to think of it, there are a few athletes, who have made good in life and can extend a helping hand.

But someone has to initiate this project for it to get off the ground and not remain a one-time subject of my column.

I wonder who will emerge if any? 

Maybe, Mon Fernandez of the PSC, who knows?

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles