Instead of a leather basketball which he used to swish in from beyond the three-point arc, Sen. Christopher ‘Bong’ Go now has his hands full with matters of vital legislative importance as head of the
senate committees on health and demography, and sports.
An ubiquitous presence in these dire times marked by a global pandemic that continuous to wreak havoc on the physical, mental and emotional state of people not only in the country but around the world, Sen. Go has immersed himself in the Philippine government’s overall effort to bring down a vicious health menace, urging utmost adherence to safety protocols here and abroad, and providing comfort and medical assistance to those afflicted.
Every now and then, he gets to sit down and watch briefly the NBA playoffs on TV, read about the Philippine Basketball Association’s plan to restart a stalled 45th season, and practice his swing and putting on some nearby green.
Sen. Go also manages to squeeze in precious time to answer a number of questions about his ‘other’ committee – Sports – agreeing to a Q&A with Manila Bulletin on topics ranging from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the ‘Sorsogon bubble’, hopes for a return to the ‘normal way of life’, and what he has likened to a ‘team sport.’
MB SPORTS: Your thoughts about the pandemic.
SENATOR BONG GO: The pandemic exposed many gaps, particularly in the public health sector, allowing us to further improve the system and make the country more prepared for future similar challenges.
It also brought into the open the issue on congestion in Metro Manila where almost 70% of COVID-19 cases were recorded at the height of the stringent quarantine. This realization made the idea of Balik Probinsya relevant again.
Nevertheless, the ongoing health crisis is also a challenge to the bayanihan spirit of our people. We know that government alone cannot fight this pandemic.
I am generally hopeful that we will be able to overcome this. The recent findings of leading experts indicating that the country’s COVID-19 cases are experiencing the flattening of the curve are a testament to the bayanihan spirit of our people and the responsive and well thought out responses of the government.
MB Sports: As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, and, of course, Sports, where does the latter figure in the scheme of things under these challenging times?
SBG: Most sports events feature close physical contact. And the present health protocol requiring a minimum of 1-m social distancing hugely and adversely affected this. This resulted in many prohibited sports activities.
Despite this, I had appealed to various sports government agencies to look after the welfare of particularly our national athletes and coaches. In addition to losing their income, many were stranded during more stringent quarantine period.
Palagi ko nga pong sinasabi na kailangan muna nating magtiis. To support our athletes, I asked that various assistance, including food, transportation, accommodation and even psychosocial assistance, be given to them.
Few months ago, I also appealed to PSC to ensure that our national pool of players continue to receive their allowances despite the “no training, no allowance” policy.
This was followed by my other appeal to make sure that our national athletes and players continue to receive their allowances despite the huge drop in earnings of PAGCOR from which the bulk of the sports development fund is taken.
Hard times such as this pandemic required innovation and creativity. This is the reason why I also appealed to our government sports bodies to come up with an action plan which may include new technology to allow our players to continue their training, particularly those aiming to join the Tokyo Summer Olympics next year.
MB Sports: Are you still optimistic for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo?
SBG: Yes, I am. But this largely depends on how the entire world responds and defeats the pandemic as one. In the meantime, government must continue supporting our national athletes and coaches, particularly those vying to qualifying for the Tokyo Games. As we have witnessed during the 30th SEA Games in the Philippines late last year, with sufficient government support, we can give our athletes the best change to bring home that elusive OIympic gold medal.
MB Sports: Rep. Bambol Tolentino, the POC president, had said early on that he will lobby for PH athletes, especially those Olympic-bound, to be lined up for the COVID-19 vaccine once an effective one is developed. Does he have the Senate Committee on Health’s support on this?
SBG: We will make a careful balancing on the allocation of vaccines depending on the actual availability and volume of vaccines for the use of our people. For now, our main target beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor and those who belong to the vulnerable sectors. There are the people who need to go out and work but are exposing themselves to various risks. We need a careful balancing also of ensuring the safety of our people and the overall health of our national economy.
MB Sports: A target date has been set (October 9) by the Philippine Basketball Association for the resumption of spectator-less games of the Philippine Cup, depending on the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force. Is this too early? Or just right?
SBG: I will leave it to the IATF, upon expert advice, which makes the recommendation to the President. How soon we can renormalize our lives depends also on the cooperation and compliance with health protocols by everyone in the country.
Whatever innovative activities they have, I advise them to always consult with the IATF prior to holding such activity and ensure that all the necessary health and safety protocols will be strictly followed at all times.
READ: Take a look at where your PBA stars will be staying starting Sept. 26
MB Sports: What do you think of the NBA bubble?
SBG: I think it is now part of the “New Normal” and may be necessary if we are to contain the further spread of the virus. Somehow, we need to innovate in order to survive.
MB Sports: How do you see PH sports under the New Normal?
SBG: It is not just about ‘New Normal’ but also about going back to the usual normal way of life where we are able to even hug people we love and care for without fear of getting the disease and dying from it.
In the meantime, while we are still waiting for a vaccine to be available in the country and we do not know what other viruses lurk out there, we need to carefully balance between staying safe and alive, and trying to renormalize our usual activities, including sports activities.
The ongoing pandemic exposed both what the gaps in our present system are as well as opportunities to harness the power of technology, for example, in ensuring that we continue to be engaged in sports activities and many other human activities in a safe manner.
MB Sports: The former University of Santo Tomas coach at the center of the so-called Sorsogon bubble has resigned and was suspended indefinitely by the UAAP. Do you think sanctions should still be levied against him or the school?
READ: No welcome sign for Aldin Ayo in NCAA — sources
SBG: It is entirely up to the health and sports authorities to decide. I would rather not preempt whatever the results of the investigations on the matter. I do not want to unfairly judge the people and team behind these either. I wish that corrective measures be also laid down to prevent this from happening again.
MB Sports: Do you still have time to indulge in any sports activity? Biking? Running? Gym work?
SBG: Considering the increased demand on me as the chair of the Senate Committee on Health amid this pandemic and the existing quarantine protocols, I rarely play basketball as my favorite hobby. But sometimes I keep myself physically fit by playing golf if there is a free time. There are a lot of benefits of playing golf, just like maintaining my mental alertness, and somehow lose weight through long walks.
And this brings me to my personal advise to our people on how to keep themselves physically fit and healthy. Never allow the quarantine protocols prevent you from staying healthy. By avoiding unnecessary travels, many are staying inside their homes most of the time, leading many to gain weight and with less exercises. Be creative. Without necessarily going out, find time to do regular physical exercises to keep yourself fit and healthy.
MB Sports: What about your motorcycle? Gathering dust in the garage?
SBG: I used my motorcycle twice when I visited the fire and tornado victims in Davao City last month. I personally brought food, medicines, and masks for the families as well as bicycles for workers who need it as a mode of transportation going to and from their workplaces. This was acted upon prior clearance given by health authorities and always in full compliance with health and safety protocols since Davao City is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
MB Sports: A final message to PH sports, in particular, and Filipinos in general.
SBG: Defeating the pandemic and emerging as victorious over this disease is like a team sports. We cannot overcome this unless we act as one team. In any team sports, like basketball, winning the game is not the function of the team captain alone but also of the rest of the team. Winning over this pandemic cannot be the job of the government alone. Our success hugely depends on the cooperation and bayanihan of our people.
As the chair of Senate Committee on Health, I continue my appeal to everyone to always follow the government-implemented health protocols, such as properly wearing the right kind of masks, observing social distancing, frequently washing our hands with soap and avoiding unnecessary travels outside our homes. These alone can keep the virus – the unseen enemy – at bay and avoid our healthcare system being overwhelmed until the vaccine arrives in the country.
We heal as one! We win as one!