Italy Kontra Pilipinas, Noon at Ngayon

Malay natin.

Bilog ang bola.

Bukas ay mapapasabak na ang koponan ng Gilas Pilipinas para sa 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup at Italy ang una nating kalaban. Sabi ni Pangulong Digong, “We will lose dito sa Italian, ang lalaki kaya niyang mga gagong ‘yan.”  Sabi niya, sa China na lang tayo kumampi na siyang bansang  pagdarausan ng mga laro. Ewan ko kung manonood ang presidente kasama si Michael Yang at si Jackie Chan.

Parati ba tayong lampaso sa Italy sa kasaysayan ng pandaigdigang pabusluan? Hindi naman. Bago sila naging higanteng koponan sa larangang ito may kung ilang ulit na silang tinalo ng koponang Pinoy.

Maniwala man kayo o hindi, dalawang beses binigti ng Pilipinas ang Italy noong taong 1985. Hiyang-hiya daw noon ang mga Italyano. Una ay nang talunin ng San Miguel Philippines ang Banco de Roma sa iskor na 98-79 sa Girona, Spain. Umiskor ng 33 puntos ang pambato nating si Samboy Lim na harap-harapang kumamada sa kabila ng presensya ng mga NBA imports ng Italy na sina Leo Rautins at Leroy Combs.

Noong taon ding iyon sa Jones Cup sa Taipei, tinalo uli ng Pilipinas ang Italy sa talang 96-75 na ang mga naging top scorer noon ay sina Allan Caidic (28 puntos) at Hector Calma (19 puntos). Ang yumaong si Ron Jacobs noon naging taga-panuto ng ating koponan.

Pero unang nakasagupa ng Pilipinas ang Italy noong 1936 sa Berlin Olympics. Sa liksi ng ating mga manlalarong pinangunahan nina Ambrosio Padilla, Charlie Borck at Jacinto Ciria Cruz sa final tally na 32-14. Panlima tayo noon, pampito ang Italy.

Pero kung susumahin, sa lampas dosenang pagkakataon na nakaharap ng Pilipinas ang Italy sa basketbol, ito lamang ang mga pagkakataong pinalad tayong manalo.

Pinakakrusiyal ang unang laban natin sa Italy. Pero ano ang dapat gawin ng Gilas? Sabi ni Filipino basketball historian Jay P. Mercado, mga tirada sa labas ang makapapatay sa kalaban. Yun bang mga attempt na kahit 'sing layo ng Iling hanggang Caminawit ay maisusyut pa. Kailangan din daw na mag-dominate ni Andray Blatche ang kanilang mga higante at pumatas ang mga Italyano ng maraming foul. Huwag mapabayaang tumira sa labas ng bahaghari sina Danilo Gallinari at Marco Belinelli ng kalabang bansa. Mahihirapan silang posasan si Blatche at kung puputok ang ating downtown shots, me laban-laban tayo.

Kapag naging kampante sila sa atin, silat sila. Kapag minaliit nila tayo, giba sila. Lalo na kapag hindi lang puso kundi utak ang pinagana ng Gilas, tagilid sila.

Ayon naman kay Wira Pori, Sec-Gen ng Brunei Basketball, “Hustle and energy on both ends of the court and the willingness to make the extra pass are also critical in tipping the scales in Gilas’s favor.” Harinawa.

Kung sakali, kung sakali lang na matalo natin ang Italy, sana ay manatili ang ating kisig at paghahangad na makapasok nang tuluyan sa torneyong nabanggit.

Bilog ang bola.

May mga inaasam na napopornada pa.

Malay natin.

Parang mas may tsansa pa nga tayong manalo sa Italya sa basketbol kaysa sa umasang igalang ng China ang Arbitration Case na ating napanalunan noon.

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Photo: PhilStar

References:

https://www.philstar.com/sports/2002/06/04/163355/revenge-italy#5bS5lXmlF2FXzj0c.99

https://www.foxsports.ph/basketball/gilas-pilipinas/1036008/roundtable-assessing-the-chances-of-gilas-pilipinas-in-the-fiba-world-cup/

When Discipleship is Seditious

To those who serve tyrants, discipleship is seditious and a product, not of faith, but of brainwashing. Discipleship in the eyes of the devil is sedition and persecution is his most devilish way. 

In Adolf Hitler’s Germany, Nazism, which was a state ideology, could not accept an autonomous establishment whose legitimacy did not spring from the government so they desired the subordination of the church to the state and they were persecuted.  An estimated one third of German priests faced some form of reprisal in Nazi Germany and 400 of them were sent to concentration camps and was tortured. The Gestapo, abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei (German: “Secret State Police”), the political police of Nazi Germany, is the state’s main implementor in such an oppression. This reminds us of the PNP-CIDG’s cases against some disciples of Christ, priests and bishops, filed recently. The police officials believed more on the statement of a hooded swindler named Bikoy than their pastors who are just inclined to do their prophetic roles totally discerning as witnesses in the senseless killings around them.

Hitler, according to author Richard Weikart, is, “a religious chameleon, a quintessential religious hypocrite,” by the way. Not unlike someone you know well.

If we have “War on Drugs” in the Philippines today, Hitler had “War on the Church” in Germany then. The fate of the Catholic bishops accused of plotting to oust Duterte been in the headlines recently, as I have said. Let me repeat, discipleship in the eyes of the devil is sedition and persecution is his most devilish way. Their accusations are mostly baseless.

Taking your cross could mean that the police officers for instance, can carry their cross by defying the unjust and persecuting orders from their superiors, a thing that Hitler’s police didn't do.  Taking our cross could also mean resisting the evils of totalitarianism. Carrying our cross is also a way of saying “no” to those who make the legal processes weapons against their rivals.  Lifting our cross may be a staunch adherence to law of men and of God, to humanity versus barbarism.

But that is not enough. Such discipleship is focused only on performance. A true disciple aims how to reform and not much how to perform. This is the most “seditious” discipleship Jesus has taught us. Prophets and  Christian witnesses do pray and reflect before the judge and act. Just like in Germany during Hitler.

This discipleship is genuine for it is about spiritual discernment and only through these we can be a self-denying, cross-carrying Christ follower…

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Photo: global-politics.eu

References:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_persecution_of_the_Catholic_Church_in_Germany

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2017/10/26/was-hitler-a-christian-an-atheist-or-neither/

Meet Jazzwel Black, the Magician

He is a magician and as far as he knows, he is the only puppeteer in town.

My namesake, a UAE-based Filipino magician, Norman Macalinao said in an interview with the Gulf News, “I just love making people happy. I can make people happy through magic. Every time I see the reaction of people, it means a lot to me.” Magical, isn’t it?

There is a thing called “Black Magic” which is a demonic kind but the surname of this well-known local magician residing in Barangay Tuban in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro is Black. His stage name is Jazzwel Black. He not only a magician but also a party host, vocalist, clown, ventriloquist, rolled into one. Black has been all over the town and some nearby municipalities performing in various events and private functions that has made him a local celebrity of sorts.

He even performed in the indigenous cultural communities of Taobuid when then Councilor now Vice-Mayor Bong Marquez sponsored a children’s party in the boondocks for the Mangyan kids, almost gratis et amore. Wearing a make-up of a clown, he appeared before the kids and they initially ran away shouting, “Bukaw! Bukaw!” (NB: “Bukaw” is “Aswang” in Tagalog). Well, as the saying goes, the show did go on. They loved him and his antics as the show went own for it was a first hand experience for them.

Jazzwel Black is Charlie Concepcion Black in real life and from Dinalupihan, Bataan whose grandfather was a black American. He started as an animal trainer at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in a joint called Subic Safari and later studied magic tricks by himself. In 1998 he did his first performances in magic. Because of life’s hardship in Olongapo, he and his wife, Claudette (nee De la Cruz) who was born and raised in Sablayan, went back to this central town in Occidental Mindoro for a new life and a greener pasture.

Having hard time in farm works and banking on his skills and talents in performing magical shows back in Zambales, he polished his craft like a diamond. From being a clown he became the first puppeteer in the whole province. According to him, “Kahirapan ang nagtulak sa akin na pumasok sa industriya. Walang nagturo sa akin ng pagma-madyik. Pinag-aralan ko ito mula sa panunuod sa iba,” says the magician who idolized and loved to watch the performances of Lance Burton on tapes. Burton is an American stage magician who performed in more than 15,000 shows in Las Vegas and retired in 2010. 

If you want to meet Jazzwel Black in person along with his puppets Cholo, Dodoy and Tonton, including Janny, the monkey doing some acrobats, you may visit his Facebook account provided at the bottom of this page or contact them at CP# 09506641200 and 09271656896.

Just like Normando Macalinao, Jazzwel Black greatly loves making people, especially the kids, happy. Black said that his inspirations are his children and the children in his every show. He further added, “Inspirasyon ko rin ang ngiti at tuwa ng mga bata lalo na ang may kaarawan.” By the way, your Mr. Amazing Performer is a singer too. Black’s magic is not for show but a continuing hard work and dedication. He continues to innovate and enhance his performance and achieve them through life.

Life is like magic. Just as well. It is believing in yourself…

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Reference: https://gulfnews.com/uae/pinoy-meet-normando-filipino-magician-1.2290758

Visit him here : https://www.facebook.com/jazzwel.black.7?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Photo: Jazzwel Black’s Facebook Account

Ang Gilas at si Digong

Kung si Pangulong Digong ay walang tiwala na kayang talunin ng Gilas Pilipinas ang Italy sa 2019 FIBA World Cup sa kanyang paboritong bisitahing bansa, mas may tiwala naman sa koponan ng Pilipinas si Coach Rajko Toroman ng Serbia. Kulang daw tayo sa height kontra sa Italy kaya  sa China na lang daw tayo pumusta (kumampi?) Sabi ni Digong: “We will lose dito sa Italian, ang lalaki kaya niyang mga gagong ‘yan.” Walang ka-gilas-gilas na statement ito. Duwarog na pahayag na dinaan lang sa pagmumura (sa paggamit ng “gago”).

Sabi nga ni Coach Jason Webb ng Magnolia Hotshots sa PBA, "I also have no plans of cheering for a country stealing our land from us." Told you, napaghahalo talaga ang sports at politika.

Noon pa man, ang kay Coach Toroman ay mas kariringgan ng totoong motibasyon kundi man  pag-asa: “I think that the chance is against Italy than against Serbia. For me, the Philippines can make surprises. And whenever you play, you have a chance to win.” Sa tantiya ni Toroman, mas may tsansa pa raw and Gilas sa Italy kaysa sa team niya (Serbia).

Nagpapakatotoo lang daw si Digong sabi ng isang DDS sa internet. Kagaya kung gaano nila binigyan katwiran ang pagmumura at dyokis ng pangulo na nagpapaka-totoo lang daw. Ang kanyang kagaspangan sa mga pormal na okasyon at ang kanyang pagiging sexist ay pagiging totoo lang daw. Eniwey, nagpapaka-totoo rin naman siguro sa kanyang lakas ng loob at tiwala sa kanyang koponan si Andray Blatche nang sabihin niya na, “Our goal is to come in and win that game right there and take the momentum going on to the next two.” Sa pahayag na ito ng pangulo na sa China na lang kumampi, siyempre, palakpakan ang mga nasa harap niyang kasapi ng Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry kamakailan. Sabi ng pangulo ay manonood siya sa laro ng Gilas at makakasama raw niya ang Vice-President ng China.

Palusot naman ng iba, baka daw gusto lamang bigyan ng motivation ni Digong ang Gilas. Kailan pa naging motivational speaker si Digong? Motivation din ba yung, “Shoot them in the vagina” at iba pang atas?

Henga pala, sa opening round, sasagupain ng Gilas ang Italy sa August 31, Serbia sa September 2 at Angola sa September 4. Si Duterte ay pupunta sa China para makipag-pulong kay Chinese President Xi Jinping, para manood ng FIBA games at pasinayaan ang isang school building doon na itinayo sa pagpaparangal sa kanyang inang si Soledad.

Hindi ako umaasa na ipaaalala ni Pangulong Digong kay Pangulong Xi kung papaano tinalo minsan ng Pilipinas and China sa larong basketbol maraming dekada na ang nakalipas. Kung papaanong mula sa pagiging literal na bansot sa basketball ay literally at figuratively naging basketball giant sa Asia ang mga Tsino. Bumangon lang sila bilang bansa. Malaki kasi ang tiwala ng kanilang mga pinuno sa kanilang mga mamamayan. 

Pero kwidaw tayo, noong unang lumahok sa international competition sa basketbol ang Pilipinas ay nilalampaso natin ang China. 1913 noon nang ang mga basketbolistang Pinoy ay nagkampiyon sa kauna-unahang Far Eastern Games na Olympic version ng Asya noon. Olats ang Japan at China sa Philippines noon. Lampaso parati ang China sa Pilipinas noon, lalo na noong 1923 nang ang isang Luis “Lou” Salvador (Tatay ni “Mamatay Kayong lahat” Philip Salvador) ay umiskor ng 116 points para makopo ang kampiyonato.

Huwag na tayong maghangad muli ng basketball dominance sa mundo pero ang sports ay paraan din ng pagpapamalas ng tatak natin bilang mga mandirigma para sa pagiging makabayan, sa palakasan at kasarinlan. Matalo manalo.

Sa tiwala at suporta ng mga nasa poder ay utay-utay na mananaig tayo sa China huwag lang tayong susuko sa kanila sa anumang bagay na ating pinagtatalunan.  

Sa basketbol, sa maraming bagay….

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Sources:

Photo: Rappler

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/basketball/703680/walang-laban-duterte-thinks-of-gilas-vs-italy-says-bet-on-china-instead/story/

https://filipiknow.net/philippine-basketball-team-in-far-eastern-games/

https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/basketball/gilas-pilipinas/234918-toroman-response-philippine-team-chances-fiba-world-cup-2019

https://www.foxsports.ph/basketball/gilas-pilipinas/1020995/former-gilas-coach-rajko-toroman-calls-philippines-a-powerful-basketball-country-in-asia/