Panagbenga horseshow prizes received after a long wait
>> Sunday, September 27, 2015
LETTERS
FROM THE AGNO
March Fianza
Last
Sunday, pony boys gathered at the Pacdal bridle path to receive their long
overdue Panagbenga gymkhana prizes. Apo councilor Joel Alangsab was there,
accompanied by his sparring partner newsman Arthur Alladiw who helped him
distribute the awards. At last, the pony boys who asked for nothing in return
for selflessly contributing their part to a thriving tourism industry stopped
the long wait.
Dropping by the Pacdal
bridle path last month, I was asked by pony boys Scott Madon and Jaime Silbino
to remind Councilor Alangsab of long overdue cash prizes and medals they have
yet to receive six months after participating in the Panagbenga last February.
They said, the medals
and cash prizes worth more or less P200,000 were their last remedy to get by as
bad weather has discouraged tourists from horseback riding. Scott, a former
officer of the Pony Boys Association at Pacdal said, many of them do not have
money to buy the required volume of horse feed and enough medicine because
there were hardly any riders in recent weeks.
I informed apo
councilor Alangsab who happened to chair the 2015 Panagbenga events last
February, including the gymkhana or horse games, and he set a date for the
awarding of the cash prizes and medals at the Pacdal park.
However, this was
reset for at least three times due to his tight schedule. To tell you the
truth, the councilor is busy doing his rounds, something he cannot do once he
files his candidacy for the same position in December. Whether he is already
going around “informing” people of his 2016 plan is something that has to come
from the horse’s mouth.
There are around 300
pony boys renting out horses in at least three spots – at Pacdal that has
become commonly called Wright Park (although Wright Park is rightly situated
near Mines View), inside Camp John Hay and beside the Country Club area.
Around 200 horses are
rented out at Pacdal, 60 at Camp John Hay, and 20 at Country Club at P300 per
hour. The association pays its business permits that include health and
sanitary permits at P500 per horse per year. With 200 horses each paying P500,
that accounts for some P10,000 contributed to the coffers of Baguio.
For paying their dues
to the city, the pony boys do not get enough in return. An association member
claimed that in a year, they do not see any visit by city health authorities or
a veterinarian despite paying for health, veterinary and sanitary
permits.
Pony boys Jaime and
Scott also told me of the need to scrape off the stones and rocks that were
laid on the horse track as this puts at risk riders and hurts the horses. As to
when will the track be scraped is up to apoAlangsab’s promise to request the
city engineers to do something about it, as early as possible or in time for
the holidays in November or in time for the long Christmas
break.
For posterity,
accounting and record purposes, I promised to publish in my column the winners
in the 2015 gymkhana during the last Panagbenga because they promised in return
to buy copies of the newspapers. Here is the list.
Big horse race – Alvin
Pataras (1st prize), John Rex Opena (2nd), Raymund Dangatan (3rd), Jerry Gabuyog
(4th), Genesis Labbot (5th); Medium horse race – Rio Glen Manaois, Joevimar
Segundo, Joshua Segundo, John Rex Opena, Carlo Penaflor; Small horse race –
Joevimar Segundo, John Rex Opena, Willy Camacho, Gembrylle Perez, Billy Jose;
Dwarf horse race – JayRLucyao, GlenfordLampuyas, JersonPeli, John Rex Opena,
Billy Fernandez;
Pole bending – Marner
Segundo, Jason Ramirez, Marvin Cayatoc, Darwin Alquizar, Noel Alquizar; Balloon
bursting, Men – Elmer Emeterio, Emil Binay-an, Noel Alquizar, RamramCayatoc,
Jed Balonan; Barrel race – Kier Dela Cruz, Marner Segundo, Elmer Emeterio,
Jason Ramirez, Noel Alquizar; Flag and barrel – Marvin Cayatoc, Kier Dela Cruz,
Marner Segundo, Paul Bagnos, RamramCayatoc;
Flag relay – Clevinne
Mike Chalmas, Paul Bagnos Jr., Billy Jose, Rojan Nicer, Newton Hugo; Lady
jockey – Rachel Obo-ob, Ina Capsil, Marivic Ramos, Vanessa Joy Oligo, Imee,
Dupingay; Rescue pair – Marvin Cayatoc, Kier Dela Cruz, JimboyCaline, Bill
Jose, Gilbert Lim; Musical chair – Lamstrong Burcao, RamramCayatoc, Emil
Binay-an, Ralph Lim, Joel Rollan; Sack race – Clevinne Mike Chalmas,
JayRLucyao, Rio Glen Manaois, Ralph Lim, Aldrin Bangcawayan;
Imported dwarf horse
race – Edward Castillo, Paul Bagnos, JersonPeli, John Rex Opena, Joevimar
Segundo; Duck/ hat picking – Carlo Penaflor, Brian Mateo, Joel Rollan,
Gembrylle Perez, Amboy Villanueva; Saddle relay – Brian Mateo, John Rex Opena,
Harley Aglamas, Kenneth Petalbero, Miller Canuto; Musical lady/ Balloon
bursting, Women – Gwen Cayatoc, Rosni DizonTriong, Rachel Obo-ob, Jayla May
Burcao, CheskaManalo.
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