Thoughts on the 2012 Palarong Pambansa Coverage

I must admit that I’ve never felt the Palarong Pambansa (the Philippines’ premiere elementary and secondary National Championships) vibe – until now. This is understandable, considering the fact that I had just hung up my spikes. Prolonged exposure to anything athletics-related (and to smart/eloquent/sporty news correspondents!) might result in a sudden change of heart. More importantly, I did not get the chance to compete in the Palaro back in high school (with my then measly personal best, I would have wilted under top notch competition).

In the past few years, I’ve read many news articles about the Palaro – often with an air of disinterest. This year’s coverage of the grassroots sporting event has improved exponentially. For a general overview of the Palaro, I turn to the Rappler. And since I’m an athletics man to the core, I satisfy my track & field fix from the blog Pinoymiler and the official Facebook page of the Philippine Amateur Track & Field Association (PATAFA).

1.) Rappler:

Kudos to Maria Ressa’s “The Rappler” for its far-reaching coverage of the games. The Rappler’s sizable online footprint (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube) makes it a potent force in media. If I am not mistaken, this is the most extensive media coverage of the Palaro to date.

2.) Pinoymiler:

The hardworking guys of Pinoymiler have been providing timely updates about the centerpiece athletics events. Airnel Abarra, the lone Pinoymiler member in Lingayen, has continuously turned in incisive reports on the various disciplines. Such detailed, sport-specific accounts are invaluable. Pinoymiler’s updates and photos are posted real-time.

3.) PATAFA:

As they say, two is better than one. National team coach Roselyn Hamero has been tediously posting the results of each heat, qualifying round and final event in the athletics competition, through the PATAFA Facebook page. Like Pinoymiler, the scanned, handwritten results are posted in real-time. Video clips of the events are also available.

Even if I’m stuck in the air-conditioned confines of my Makati office, I get constant news feeds from these three outfits. It’s the closest I’ll get to being in the thick of action. To all the participants of the Palarong Pambansa, godspeed!

Thank you to the Rappler!

I have much respect for Maria Ressa’s Rappler. It’s a no-nonsense approach to journalism, devoid of the sensationalist streaks rampant in today’s local news outfits.

While checking my blog stats a while back, I noticed that some of my blog hits came from one of favorite internet news sources. It turns out that a certain Mr. Jonathan Baldoza quoted one of my old blog posts to a Rappler article entitled “Athletics: The Sport That Started it All.”

Coming in the wake of my recent retirement from the sport I hold dear, Baldoza’s article bears a subtle tinge of irony. Despite the end of my competitive days – and my athletics dreams – it is heartwarming to know that people actually read the stuff I write.

Perhaps there really is hope for Philippine athletics, no matter how minute.