Peace and Solidarity in Sports

Area 4 Athletic & Cultural Meet 2011
Souvenir Program Cover

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 9, all roads here in Negros Occidental  PH especially in the 4th Congressional District  lead to the humble city of La Carlota for the opening of the 4th congressional athletic and cultural meet.

Athletic delegations coming from Bago City, PONPUVASAN (Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and San Enrique) and the host city, La Calota will converge at the oval of Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School for a 3-day sports competition.

This annual sports competition among athletes within the fourth congressional district of Negros Occidental is focused on peace and solidarity through sports development.

Messages (in statement)

Negros Occidental governor Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. commended the city of La Carlota for hosting this competition in a statement. He hoped that all athletes and sports officials will maintain good sportsmanship and teach each other with respect.

4th District Congressman Jeffrey P. Ferrer in another statement said that he was optimistic that this field of friendly competitions more materials will be discovered who can ably participate in future contests province-wide or in the national level.

La Carlota Mayor Juliet Marie D. Ferrer hoped that this would be an opportunity for the La Carloteños to share with the different athletic contingents the hospitality of the city.

More Messages (in Statement)

Other executivies of the participating cities and municipalities in this competition have these to say:

Bago City Mayor Ramon D. Torres: "This activity is your opportunity to showcase your God-given talents honed by years of training and guidance by your mentors and coaches."

Pulupandan municipal mayor Magdaleno M. Peña: "This occasion will surely mark another opportunity to enhance fellowship among students of different schools as well as create a venue where they shall see the value of sportsmanship, discipline, and hard work."

Abner D. Jardenico, acting municipal mayor of San Enrique: "This Area Meet, where the spirit of sportsmanship, brotherhood, and camaraderie is experienced."

Jose Maria A. Alonso, municipal mayor of Pontevedra: "This is a friendly competition of peers with a common cause: the betterment and development of the District."

Romel P. Yogore, municipal mayor of Valladolid: "Let us strive to achieve our goals, our feelings being mutual, and perfectly in agreement with one another."

School Administrators' Messages

For the education top brass these are what they said about the coming event:

"an awareness how learning communities work for peace and solidarity... value-laden and infotainment," said Juliet A. Jeruta, Schools Division Superintendent of La Carlota City, the host city.

"enjoyment to the public, fulfillment to the athletes and more inspiration and motivation to the teachers, school and local government officials... for the good of the larger community and society as a whole," expressed Milagros S. Gonzales, SDS of Bago City.

"Our youth will be able to imbibe them [the ancient landmarks of honesty, justice, dignity and discipline] and make them their own standards as they face their personal fight against the oddities of life," added Rizalino S. Tortosa, SDS of Negros Occidental.

On the other hand, La Carlota Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Ferdinand S. Sy stressed the intellectual and physical strength of an athlete: "Mens sana est[sic] corpore sano" [A sound mind in a sound body] is important in the world of sports.

While Portia M. Mallorca of Bago City emphasized that the greatest honor at stake is how to acknowledge success with humility and accept defeat with dignity.

Let there peace and solidarity in sports development!