Following the successful campaign of Team Philippines in the 9th ASEAN Para Games last September, the Philippine Paralympic Committee-Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled looks to sustain the momentum our athletes have made with the launch of mobile donation service “Alay PARA Atleta”, Monday afternoon.
“Our showing in Kuala Lumpur validated our long-term plan which is to implement a grassroots development program that will help discover new talents and harness our existing ones in order to create a bigger pool of para-athletes that will be ready to compete in the next 2018 Asian Para Games, the 2019 Games, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, and other international para-sport competitions,” said PPC-PHILSPADA president Mike Barredo.
Donations can be made with denominations of 10, 50, 100, and 500 through text by sending ALAYPARA(Denomination) to 3456. The service is available for both post and prepaid subscribers of SMART and Globe.
Joining the campaign is the University Athletics Association of the Philippines. The student-athlets and officials of the league have vowed to volunteer their staff and crew in the next ASEAN Para Games in Manila.
“We are looking to support with manpower when the event comes. Number two, we can have joint training and share the venues with our para-athletes. Those are the things we are looking at,” said UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag.
Present at the event were FEU Tamaraws guard Hubert Cani, UP Fighting Maroons guard Jan Jaboneta, and NU Bullpups forward Rhayan Amsali.
“Our athletes have become celebrities in some way. So when they come out and say that we support our para-athletes and PHILSPADA, malaking bagay na iyon. Those are the things that we are committed to,” added Saguisag.
Para-athletes who brought honor to the country also graced the event, headlined by three-time gold medalist Cielo Honasan and multi-time champion Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta.
“Let’s say they don’t give support to the administration of the organization itself. Yung mga suweldo ng mga tao, at alam ko may iba pa silang mga projects yung mga local tapos yung mga grassroots development. Dito mapupunta yung para mas dumami pa ang mga atleta na may kapansanan,” shared Dumapong-Ancheta.
The Philippines won a total of 69 medals in the last Para SEA Games, moving the country to fifth after finishing seventh in the 2015 edition of the tournament. And with this platform, every Filipino can do their part to help lift the country’s para-athletes to the top of the standings come 2019.
