BY WAYLON GALVEZ
Three months after fighting for flag and country during the Southeast Asian Games, several Filipino athletes are back at the forefront of another battles ‘enlisted’ officers.
This time, these athletes are waging a brave battle against an unseen – and perhaps much deadlier enemy in coronavirus (COVID-19).
Two members of the water polo team, Romark Belo and Mark Jerwin Valdez, are part of more than 150 ‘enlisted’ athletes of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Coast Guard and the police helping the country as front liners in this health crisis.
“Madami na rin na naka-deploy sa tingin ko na tropang atleta,” said Valdez in an interview Monday. “Ni-recall lahat ng sundalo, coast guard and police kasi naka red alert kami.”
Since the fight against Covid-19 was elevated to Red Alert by the Duterte administration, the ‘enlisted’ athletes returned to their respective units, and Valdez, together with Belo, rejoined the navy.
Three other members of the water polo team are also ‘enlisted’ athletes but are currently training with the air force – Adan Gonzales, McGyver Reyes and Bnel Amiladjid.
It was only last December when they played key roles for the national team following a silver medal finish in water polo of the 30th SEA Games here – the first podium finish for the country in nine years.
During that stretch in the SEA Games, the Filipinos battled the best in the region including Indonesia and Singapore. The team’s next important tournament is the Asian Championship here later this year, but because of the current situation, training was halted.
Valdez and Belo – both Seaman Second Class officers – were deployed to separate locations.
Valdez just finished his stint manning a post at the Naval Base Cavite (formerly Naval Station Sangley Point) in Cavite City last Sunday and will return to the camp on April 6.
As for Belo, he started his stint Monday as part of a navy unit that conducts checkpoint at the Cavitex Tollgate for the next 15 days before they undergoanother 15-day quarantine.
“Mahirap… malayo sa pamilya. Tapos ang kalaban hindi pa nakikita,” said Belo, father of 1-year-old daughter Amara Elyz and husband to Pau Genido-Belo. “Pero wala namang pagsubok na hindi natin kayang lampasan.”
“Saka itong ginagawa namin napakasarap sa pakiramdam, lalo na yung nakakatulong ka para sa bayan. Alam mong may purpose ang paghihirap mo – kagaya pa din bilang atleta.”
Valdez shares the same sentiment despite the challenges and danger lurking aroundf.
“Always ready kami whenever duty calls, iyan na kasi talaga iyung doctrine na tinuro sa amin. Na simula nung ma-enlist kami pag mamayari na kami ng gobyerno, hindi na namin hawak ang oras naming,” said Valdez.
“Any order na galing sa taas, kailangan namin sundin kaya pag mga ganitong sitwasyon, banat lang ng banat. Pareho lang din naman halos ng pagiging athlete. Ginagawa namin lahat ng ito para sa bayan.”
According to Marc Velasco, national training director of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), there are 134 ‘enlisted’ athletes that belong to the AFP, while nine are part of the Presidential Coast Guard, and two are with the Philippine National Police.
Velasco said that as ‘enlisted’ athletes, the PSC gets a list from the following departments called “detached service” for them to be allowed to train and compete for flag and country.
“If they have that DS or detached service, these athletes report to the PSC for training and of course they compete as part of the national team. Normally the DS is for one year,” said Velasco, adding that without the DS, these ‘enlisted’ athletes return to their mother units.
