Sitio Kabutungan Holds Basketball League
October 23, 2002 @ Kinalangay Viejo

I get invited to all kinds of occasions being a mayor. On October 23, 2002 I was the guest speaker and inducting officer of the awarding ceremonies and induction of KSC (Kabutungan Sports Club) Officers 2002, at 2:00 p.m., says the formal invitation.

Sitio Kabutungan is located at the eastern part of Barangay Kinalangay Viejo. It derived its name from the profusion of groves and groves of, uh, what else but bamboos. These bamboo lands are mostly owned by two clans, the Incognitos and the Arevalos, composed of about 70 families. It is a surprise that this sitio could organize a basketball tournament of 7 teams. But they did. And these families have formed an organization in the form of a sports club. Their first activity is to build a basketball court in the middle of the bamboo groves and hold a tournament among themselves.

So at 3:00 p.m. of October 23 I was at sitio Kabutungan. Our troop consisted of my daughter, Lani, who was in vacation from school, Casiano Flores Jr., an employee of the agriculture department who is from Kinalangay Viejo, and Paddy Baltonado, my security agent. When we arrived the championship game was still in progress. Nilo Incognito, a barrio kagawad and the man behind all these, welcomed us with apologies that their schedule was not followed and we had to wait for the game to finish to start the program. After watching the game for the few minutes, Nilo decided that we might as well partake of their prepared food as the second half of the championship game had to be played.

We hiked back to the main road where the president of the KSC, John Importado, had prepared the food. There were many people in their house as it was the bisperas of the fiesta of Kinalangay Viejo. There was plenty of food, prepared not only for us but surely for the people who would visit for the fiesta the next day.

Back again to the basketball court after eating and the game was in its dying seconds. We noticed that there were less people than when we arrived earlier. We were told that some attended the wedding in progress at Kinalangay Viejo proper while others had to butcher their pigs for the fiesta. The game finished with the champion team making the louder triumphant noises. I forgot which team won because they were not in uniform. In any case the program was started right after because it was getting late and people had much to do because of the fiesta.

We ran through the program. In my message I promised to help in the cementing of their basketball court, which got the most applause (I also will help in the construction of the basketball board). Aside from the trophy and medals, there was Tanduay, Ginebra and Gold Eagle Beer as prizes. Many of the officers for induction have gone home already, perhaps getting ready for the binayle at the plaza.

We were also in the hurry. It was getting late and I had to go back to Kinalangay Viejo the same night to be the guest speaker in their coronation of the Muse of the Night 2002.

See the pictures!!!