Sports integral part of Unabia administration

MISAMIS Oriental Governor Peter ‘Sr Pedro’ M. Unabia, though he did not enjoy much sports in his younger days, placed sports development as an integral part of his program of governance.

He manifested it by formally opening the week-long Paglaum Sportsfest on Monday night, January 8 to a grand firework display at the Provincial Capitol ground in Cagayan de Oro City.

“I don’t have sports activities in my routine niadtong bata pa kita tungod usab sa kapobrehon maskin sapatos pangdula sa basketball maglisod kita pag afford,” Unabia, a certified rags-to-richest story, once admitted in a talk before the young athletes during a province-wide meet.

In last year’s inaugural opening of the Paglaum Sportsfest when it was called the Paglaum MisOr-Rise CDO Cup, the ageless governor unwittingly unveiled his favorite game when he was listed among the official participants in a chess team event. And though he was not able to play, owing to hectic schedules, Unabia’s son in Balingoan town mayor Aaron Unabia did compete and so did Talisayan mayor Rico Taray.

“Queen’s Gambit is my preferred opening,” then said Unabia over a dinner prepared by co-host Cagayan de Oro at the City Tourism Hall before his aborted chess matches.

In the Paglaum Sportsfest slated until January 12, chess at the Capitol Chess Park is among the featured sports disciplines, including volleyball and basketball at the Capitol ground, badminton at the Ayala Centrio Mall, and lawn tennis, table tennis and dart at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center.

Already, host Provincial Capitol nailed the Paglaum Sportsfest’s Best Muse award when Honeygrace Portulin Labajo from the Treasurer’s Office edged Initao bet Maria Angel Cañete, last year’s runner-up to the now Provincial SK chair Mary Kate Valdehueza Temple of Tagoloan.