University of the Visayas Green Lancers give back to Cebu community

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The 10-time CESAFI collegiate champion University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers have found an added inspiration in their quest for an 11th title—their visits to the institutions of the delinquents, orphans and homeless as part of their social responsibility campaigns.

“We are living up to our social responsibility, helping those people who are willing to get help. The main objective of the team is to really reach out to the community. That is part of the university’s vision mission and goals. The UV Green Lancers is not just a team determined to win games on the court but also, as a team, we take pride in making a difference in the lives of many, especially to the challenged sector of our society,” said Van Halen P. Parmis, the team’s assistant and scouting coach.

However, not only did their visits impact the beneficiaries, but according to Parmis, the program has become a source of inspiration for the team which is evidenced when they dumped league leader University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors by 31 points, 74-43, last September 20 with the patrons from the House of Hope, a drug and alcohol treatment center, watching and cheering for the team.

Parmis said that with the House of Hope patrons and their families watching from the sideline and heartily cheering to the tune of the drum-beating cheering squad, the players were so inspired that they couldn’t wait to get back into the game during breaks.

The assistant coach said they invited the patrons to watch their games because “it will ignite their love for sports which is one great diversionary tactic for the dependents to lead a cleaner and healthier lifestyle.”

After watching the game, Parmis was informed that the patrons of the treatment center couldn’t stop talking about it and were even more inspired with the Green Lancers that they had invited them to watch their own basketball tournament, which the team is eager to witness. 

The team has also donated balls for the center to continue their sports program.

The UV Green Lancers stumbled into this outreach program with their first visit to the House of Hope located in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu early this month.

“The story behind our visit at the House of Hope stemmed from the coaching staff looking for ways on how to make our boys appreciate more the beauty of maintaining a drug-free lifestyle. Every year, we have drug testing for our players and coaching staff, so it wasn’t too hard to make them understand why there was a need for it. They for themselves already know the rationale behind the undertaking. 

“The only challenge was how to make them appreciate it and really see for themselves the destruction that drugs can do to a person, more so to an athlete, as the yearly process already has become a routine for the boys. So this year, I decided to add zest to it. I heard of the House of Hope since I have a cousin who is currently seeking treatment there. That started it all,” Parmis explained.

There, the team listened to an orientation about the use of illegal drugs, which was more made meaningful to the players because the lecturer was a former CESAFI player who had sought help there when he got involved with drugs.

“The experience became an eye opener to all the players. It made them realize the destruction drugs can do, appreciate sports all the more and above all, recognize God above all,” said Parmis.

About the kids

With the positive impact on the players, the team’s coaching staff headed by Gary Cortes decided to continue the visitation, this time, paying a visit to the Children’s Resource Center Pari-an Drop-in Center, just a walk away from the UV Campus in downtown Cebu City.

There, the team got to interact and play with the kids who were adopted from the streets.

“Getting to know the children and their backgrounds have touched the players’ hearts and now they appreciate what they have and promised to dedicate every game that they play to the children housed there,” said Parmis.

The visit seemed to have further instilled discipline and responsibility among the players as they are now the ones urging each other to double their efforts and show up early in practices.

Usually, after winning a game, the team is rewarded a day with no practice but the players themselves especially Cameroonian import Steve Akomo who says “there is no need to relax, no need to rest.”

Akomo, himself, had quite a learning experience when a 10-year-old boy named Carlos had taken a liking towards him.

Parmis narrated how Carlos asked Akomo to stay and sleep at the center, which serves as a home for street kids. To pacify Carlos, Akomo had told him that he had to leave because he has a game to play but that he would return.

However, Akomo failed to do so, so the coaching staff told him that he should not reneged on his promise to Carlos so as not to upset the kid. With his conscience bothering him, Akomo returned to the center the next day, bringing with him chocolates.

Akomo told his coaches that indeed Carlos had waited for him the whole day and even during the night before he had to go to sleep, telling the center’s staff to let Akomo in immediately as soon as he arrives.

Another member of the team, Leonard Santillan, who played for the Batang Gilas Under 18 in Qatar last year, said he has been inspired with the encounters especially seeing how the patrons from House of Hope supported them in their game against USC.

Santillan, whose play has been off after two games at the start of the season, has regained his zeal and admitted that he has been playing better since their visit to the Pari-an Drop-in Center because he wanted to be a better role model for the kids there.

With the positive energy that these visitations have generated among the players, Parmis said that they have decided to continue with the program of being more involved with the community and will next be paying a visit to the Missionaries of Charity Gasa Sa Gugma, a home for the dying destitutes.

Aside from asking their friends and fans to go with them in their visit, the team has also asked for donations in kind for the home.

The players themselves are using their own money to buy donations which they will be bringing with them.

Parmis said that this is the first time that the UV Green Lancers has done this in Cebu but not the first time that they have gone on a charitable mission as they have done it in Mindanao and other parts of the Visayas where they have games.

Parmis hopes that they would also be able to encourage the other teams to do the same and the CESAFI to adapt the program, and for the players not to wait to do something bad on court before getting involved with the community.

For this season, the CESAFI has added four hours of community service for any player who gets thrown out of a game for unsportsmanlike behavior on top of a one-game suspension and a fine of P5,000.

“All member schools should do community service. We should be more visible to the community. The impact will be different if players have to do it under penalty,” said Parmis.

Aside from that, Parmis also said that the CESAFI should adopt more stringent measures in making sure that the league is drug free. Last season, all teams were made to undergo drug tests but not this season.

UV conducts drug tests more than once in a year on players and coaching staff for both its seniors and juniors team. – Rappler.com