Fit to govern?

When asked about the nation’s affairs and party platforms, presidential aspirants are expected to spout their knowledge of political and economic stuff. But what if reporters suddenly toss to them a couple of oddball questions from left field? A question like, “Let’s talk about your sports program. Are you fit to govern?" And so it was during GMA7’s “Eleksyon 2010: Tatakbo Ka Ba? fun run, when reporters milled around the presidential and vice-presidential hopefuls, asking questions about sports and fitness. And rightly so. After all, the nation needs a fitness program both for its people and for its President who will be in for a grueling six-year grind. Sports is a major social, nay, political concern. Thus, during the GMA7 Fun Run, we grilled eight presidential (and later, possibly vice presidential) hopefuls: Sen. Manuel Roxas II, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen. Francis Escudero, Makati City Mayor Jojo Binay, and environmentalist Nicanor Perlas. (We also sought responses from presidential aspirants Sen. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III and Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who were absent from the Fun Run, but they had not responded to the questions as of posting time. The staff of ex-President Joseph Estrada, who joined the activity, have promised to send a reply.) The aspirants were asked to answer three questions: • If you became President, what would be your main sports and youth development program? • What is the most under-appreciated sport in the country, and what should be done about it? • How do you keep yourself fit?

[Click here to view excerpts of their replies to specific questions] Sports and youth development Responding to the first question, all eight aspirants agreed on the principle of holistic development for individuals and the entire society as the basis for a national sports program, through grassroots, school-based, and specialized channels. Most of them expressed a need for increased funding to fuel the country’s sports program. Some, like Sen. Legarda, gave more emphasis to incentives for individual athletes. Others offered a more balanced mix of both school-based and special programs, while Sen. Madrigal alone gave the clearest emphasis on funding sports for public schools, especially for poor students. All eight wanted Filipinos to compete and succeed in international sports events, but Sen. Legarda was the most emphatic in the need to produce world-class athletes. Most aspirants – especially Senators Roxas, Escudero, and Gordon – saw the need for the government and the private sector to cooperate in sports endeavors and raising funds. But only Perlas mentioned the role of civil society as the third stakeholder. Of all the presidential hopefuls, Sen. Escudero had the longest and perhaps most detailed explanation of his sports and youth program: from DepEd curriculum reform, to the role of local government units in providing sports facilities, all the way up to managing the Philippine Sports Commission more effectively. Escudero obviously did his homework well. The young senator’s single most important dream, however, is to revive the National Games that will gather the best grassroots athletes and prepare them for international competition. Sen. Villar, on the other hand, offered another approach that focused more on institution-building: he wants to create a unified national agency for sports and a sports library. All eight aspirants agreed that sports is a linchpin of wider social development. But environmentalist Nick Perlas said it best and most succinctly: “When you develop sports in a proper way, you also develop culture, you also develop democracy. That’s the connection." Most neglected sports The GMANews.Tv reporters’ next question was simpler: What’s the most under-appreciated sport in the country, and what can be done to promote it? The eight presidential hopefuls gave a widely variant range of replies. Sen. Roxas rooted for football (soccer) above the rest. Sen. Gordon chose baseball although he also mentioned soccer. Sen. Villar also mentioned baseball in third place. Sen. Legarda’s foremost concern is track and field, which Villar also mentions in second place. Senators Madrigal and Escudero see the need to emphasize martial arts such as arnis and taekwondo. Only Senators Madrigal and Legarda mentioned sepak takraw (sipa) and other indigenous sports. Sen. Villar wants to promote billiards, and have it opened as a competitive sport in the 2012 Olympics. Environmentalist Perlas did not single out just one type of sports, but insisted that except for basketball (and boxing, Sen. Escudero adds), all other sports need more attention. ‘How do you keep fit?’ The last one, “How do you keep fit?" was a fair question to ask. After all, the President would need the stamina of a boxer who can endure blows from left and right, and the sharpness of a manager who can make urgent executive decisions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Based on their answers, there seems to be no strict pattern in the regimen for each of the eight hopefuls. Sen. Roxas uses the treadmill, swims laps, shoots hoops, and boxes with a trainer. Sen. Madrigal also uses the treadmill, and does horseback-riding and yoga. Sen. Villar also uses the treadmill, apart from keeping a positive outlook to fight stress. Sen. Legarda is into jogging and proper diet. Interestingly, only she and Nick Perlas – both known for their environmental activism – listed proper diet as part of their fitness program. Sen. Gordon follows a daily morning and evening exercise regimen, aside from occasional basketball and volleyball. Sen. Escudero enjoys recreational swimming with family, plus occasional Pilates, crunches, and push-ups. Mayor Jojo Binay has an interesting combination of shooting and basketball. He proudly says he ran in the 5k marathon. Nick Perlas is perhaps unique among the presidential hopefuls in that he describes a comprehensive personal regimen that doesn’t simply rely on exercise. Instead, he shuns smoke and drink, gets enough sleep and proper diet, and practices stress control. For physical exercise, he uses the rebounder, jumping with barbells on a trampoline-like platform. As the GMA7 Fun Run drew to a close, all the presidential aspirants seemed satisfied that they were able to project an image of physical fitness as they walked briskly in their sports garb. It remains to be seen, though, if their glittering political platforms will survive next year’s bruising electoral campaign. – with reports from Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.Tv