Smart big boss graces Milo Little Olympics 2009 in Cagayan de Oro City

By JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL
and JOHNNY TORILLO BESA

No less than the big boss Manuel V. Pangilinan of telecom giant Smart Communications, Inc. graced the opening of the 2009 edition of Milo Little Olympics in Cagayan de Oro.

Pangilinan, also the head of Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications (PLDT), is known in the sports industry as among the top patrons in the development of sports in the country.

“This is the main reason why we have decided to choose him to be our guest of honor and speaker because Mr. Pangilinan is really helping the sports industry in the country developed,” Milo sports organizer in Mindanao Megdonio Llamera said the other day.

Llamera said other known political figures who were also invited include Misamis Oriental governor Oscar Moreno, Cagayan de Oro mayor Constantino Jaraula, Rep. Yevgeny Emano of the first district, Cagayan de Oro’s second district representative Rufus Rodriguez and first district’s Rolando Uy.

He said thousands young athletes connverged at the Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center in Cagayan de Oro City during the opening ceremonies of the three-day 13th Milo Little Olympics Mindanao.

Llamera said the opening program, which were also graced by officials from Nestle Philippines, Department of Education and hosts Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro, will start at 1 p.m. upon the arrival of the parade of delegations from the Misamis Oriental capitol ground.

Msgr. Elmer Abacahin, national executive director of the Basic Ecclesial Communities of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, will lead the invocation.

Dr. Estella Abid-Babano, regional director of the Department of Education and chair of the 13th Milo Little Olympics executive committee, will formally open the games.

Among the highlights of the opening ceremonies include the solemn hoisting of banners, dramatic lighting of the 13th Milo Little Olympics flame, the lively and breath-taking cheer-dance performances, as well as the first-ever search for Miss Milo Little Olympics.

Joining the hoisting of the banners are assistant vice president and Milo Sports Events Executive Pat Goc-ong for Nestle Philippines and Babano for the Department of Education.

Sports competitions, most of which will be played at the newly-refurbished Don Gregorio Pelaez Sports Center, will commence on September 12, Saturday, and will wind up the day after, Sunday.

There will be 12 events, namely athletics, badminton, chess, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, table tennis, scrabble, sepak takraw, swimming, taekwondo and volleyball. – with UCQ reports

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