In the middle of last year. Goducate in Laguna began to work with the police, training them to be basketball officials (see blog of Aug 14, 2015). The idea behind the partnership was to help the police to reach out to youth through sports. Keeping youth focused on a sport can help keep them out of trouble.
As part of this partnership, a friendly basketball league was held at the Goducate center in Laguna on April 6. One of the largest problems in the Philippines now among youths is drug addiction, so the theme for the event was “Support Sports and Avoid Illegal Drugs”. We agreed that building a strong relationship and trust between the community and the authorities could help prevent youths from being tempted by drugs, and one way of building such relationships is through sports, which is very popular in the Philippines.
Altogether 7 teams took part in the league, including the village chieftain’s team. In addition, Goducate’s sports coordinator also invited 2 Philippines Basketball Association (PBA) players to give their testimonies at the event. Both came from the leading teams in the PBA league, and both believe in the value of sports as a means of keeping youths out of trouble. The participants were much encouraged by hearing how these players managed to overcome their struggles to be successful PBA players. One of them told of how basketball enabled him to finish his studies and attain financial freedom.
The participants were also addressed by our Municipal Chief of Police, who encouraged them to avoid illegal vices. In particular, he talked about the adverse effects of drug addiction not only on the addicts but also on their families, and he warned them how hard it is to break the addiction.
