Oh Danny Boy, Remember: Humility is Golden; Cayetano Highlights FIVB Worlds' Benefits for PH

by Matias Dennis U. Eroa

Now secured in life due to basketball, Danny Ildefonso, with his crafty moves underneath the basket and cool demeanor, became the talk of the town when he branded Northport as a farm team. This is the main reason, according to dear old friend Lakay, that his son Dave isn’t biting Batang Pier’s two-year maximum contract offer for a rookie.

Results? Danny I, once the King of NU Bulldogs in the UAAP, got hit with a P20,000 fine by the PBA Commissioner’s Office for issuing statements detrimental to the league.

More so, the two-time PBA Most Valuable Player and many-time member of the national team, suddenly became hot news due to his pronouncements that his son wants to play for a team that is not a farm team.

Simply said, Dave wants to strut his wares to a champion-caliber team.

Naturally, Northport is not only saddened but feels insulted by Lakay’s words.

For my part, I should ask Lakay if his son is the second coming of 8-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, San Miguel Beer’s franchise player.

Even the Kraken will not go into this kind of controversy. But if Dave plays like the 6-foot-11 behemoth, then I might change my mind.

But Dave isn’t and Danny I’s fatherly love appears to be out of place.

Basketball is a blessing to Danny I and his family. The Ildefonsos are financially secured. His other son Shaun is learning a lot playing under Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao and I’m sure Dave will learn a lot wearing the Batang Pier jersey.

Credit the Northport bigwigs for deciding not to add fire to the issue. They stay silent, hoping that the Ildefonsos will come to their senses. By the way, the “farm team” powered by Arvin Tolentino’s 51 points, outgunned and outhustled Lakay’s Converge, 135-109 in the PBA Governors Cup clash. You don’t have to be a genius to understand that Northport got extra push upon knowing the comments of Converge assistant coach Ildefonso.

I’ve covered Danny I countless times in the UAAP, the PBA, the PBL, and outside the country. Rarely that he lose his focus and composure in the face of unwanted physicality from the opposing players.

I haven’t personally talked to Lakay for years and I will always wish for his success watching from the bench. To Lakay here’s one about humility courtesy of the great Mahatma Gandhi,

“Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions. Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny.”

Cayetano said hosting FIVB volleyball men’s World championship will boost sports tourism

Sports lover Senator Alan Peter Cayetano hit the bullseye when he highlighted the immense potential of the country’s single-hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Philippines 2025 next year.

With the Philippines fast shaping up as the volleyball capital of the world, Cayetano said the men’s volleyball championship featuring the best of the best teams worldwide, will attract millions of fans.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano [photo credit: Alan Peter Cayetano Facebook]

Cayetano said the Federation Internationale de Volleyball sees great potential for the Philippines during the PH to Serve concert recently held at Malacanang. The event last September 15 marked the one-year countdown for the Worlds scheduled from September 12 to 18, 2025.

“When it was brought to our attention that the Philippines could host or bid for the world championship, we tried for both the women and men world tournaments. Nakuha natin yong men’s edition of the event. [We’re very excited because] this will open up doors not only for the country but for the 800 million fanbase ng volleyball sa buong mundo,” he said. Cayetano and his sister Senator Pia Cayetano played a crucial role in bringing international volleyball tournaments to the Philippines, the most recent being the semifinal leg of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) last June.

Sports tourism will also be boosted by the championship. “Our targets are the Koreans, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Japanese volleyball followers who will travel to our country to watch the games. And when they see the beauty of the Philippines, they will come back and spread the word to their countrymen.”

“If we prepare our airport, hindi natin sila pahihirapan sa visa, at maganda ang marketing ng event, they’ll really come,” he said. “And the thing is when they see the beauty of the Philippines, babalik-balik ‘yan,” he added. Cayetano said the tournament would serve as an “appetizer” for showcasing the Philippines’ tourism.

“Main event siya in terms of the sports, pero sa tourism, appetizer lang ‘yan. Once the tourists are here, we can advertise our islands, mountains, culture, and food,” he said. Cayetano, as Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), and Senator Pia have been dedicated supporters of volleyball since recognizing the sport’s potential during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Cayetano also expressed gratitude to key supporters, particularly business mogul and sports patron Manny Pangilinan who has made significant contributions to sports in the country.

“We’d like to thank talaga MVP – Mister (Manny) Pangilinan – kasi hindi lang sa basketball, sa ibang sports grabe ang kanyang support,” he said. He also commended the Marcos administration’s commitment to the event. “Y’ung suporta ng administration is 100 percent. [My Local Organizing Committee] Co-chairs Vinny Marcos and Tourism Secretary (Christina) Frasco are really working hard,” he said.

With a year of preparation ahead, Cayetano is confident that a combination of hard work, faith, and coordination will ensure a successful tournament.

“We really have to work hard, put a step to our faith, and a lot of coordination and prayer. But as I said, maganda na ang seed ng volleyball dito, maganda rin ang soil. So what we’re just trying to do is prepare the environment for this competition,” he said. Looking to the future, Cayetano envisions further growth in the country’s sports hosting capabilities. “Ten years from now, I really see many, many more coliseum at multi-sports na talaga ang Pilipinas,” he said.

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Dennis Eroa

Columnist at Sports Bytes PH

After 25 years of working with the Inquirer Group of Companies, Dennis decided to make an early retirement due to the pandemic. Formerly a college editor of UE’s The Dawn, Dennis learned the craft from the country’s leading chroniclers of sports namely Recah Trinidad, Al Mendoza,Jimmy Cantor, Chito Manuel and the late Larry Galvez, Doc Inigo and Tito Tagle. In the early 90s, Dennis became a section editor of Riyadh Daily, Saudi Arabia’s first English newspaper. He is an active member and officer of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, Tabloids Organization in Philippines and the Sports Communicators Organization in the Philippines, He covered local and international sporting events while working at Sports Flash, Malaya, Headline, Evening Standard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Libre and Bandera.