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GoBasket Philippines Starts Series of Webinars

The Covid-19 pandemic brought sports activities to a halt, causing loss of livelihoods for many people in the sports industry. To help basketball coaches, referees, and leaders, Goducate’s basketball program, GoBasket Philippines, held its first online coaching training session on May 25-20.

Around 120 of these people from all over the Philippines attended this webinar, given through Zoom, a platform for audio and video conferencing.  The aim of the training was to train participants in holistic coaching, skills development, and the development of good moral values. The holistic approach looks at all aspects of an individual — the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — because athletes have other things going on in their lives besides sports.

The topics covered by trainers from different countries were:

  • Coaching Matters, by David “Boycie” Zamar, assistant coach of San Miguel Beermen Professional Team of Philippine Basketball Association;
  • Sports Chaplaincy, the provision of spiritual and pastoral care to sportsmen, by Mon Casuga, coach at AO1 Skills Academy;
  • Basketball Officiating, by referee George Magsino of Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League;
  • Sports Livelihood, by Paul Advincula, head coach of the MalaysianBasketball National Team 1999 to 2016; and
  • Skills Development by Jefferson Codera, skills trainer of the US National Basketball Association Golden State Warriors.

The team of international and professional speakers, with their experience, knowledge, and practical tips, made the training session seem like a week-long basketball festival.

This GoBasket Philippines webinar is the first of several sessions to be held over a year to train and produce competent sports leaders to reach their own communities through basketball, the most popular sport in the Philippines.

*Our guest writer is Agape Abarte, a volunteer coach with GoBasket.

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Goducate Sabah Holds First Online Youth Camp

To cater to youth stuck at home and no school to attend because of restrictions arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, Goducate conducted its first online youth camp on May 30-31. The camp was for youth in Malaysia, where the government has imposed a Movement Control Order (MCO), and in the Philippines, where there is Enhanced Community Quarantine (CQ).

Over 50 participants, the majority from Sabah, Malaysia, attended the camp, which was titled “Mission Grounded Life: True Keys to Successful Living”. Goducate Philippines volunteers were the speakers for the main topics, which were Smart Use of Technology and Mental Wellness. In the afternoon there were skill-based interactive sessions on topics ranging from basic gardening, personality development, home making, basic home first aid, and sports such as basketball and volleyball. These sessions were led by specialists from the Philippines and facilitators from Goducate Sabah, Malaysia.

Goducate Sabah is aiming to reach out to the youth both in Malaysia and the Philippines, regardless of culture, religious affiliation, and backgrounds, through creating digital platforms and educating our youth to be responsible and productive during this pandemic. The two-day camp was run using the software Zoom, which has breakout sessions that allow participants to be divided into smaller groups for more detailed discussion and interactions.

During this Online Zoom Camp, participants learnt how to make a video, as individuals or as teams, that show what they learned in the camp. There were games and contests too, for the participants, to enjoy and to get to know each other better. Maurelline, one of the youth facilitators shared, “It was a great experience. I was nervous in the beginning but with the guidance of the organizers I was able to do it”.

*Our guest writer is the Goducate Sabah Training Coordinator.

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Goducate Laguna distributes food packs and face shields

Goducate Laguna has distributed 878 food packs during this Covid-19 pandemic. Each pack contains 3 kg rice and some other groceries.

On March 16, the Philippines introduced its Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to try to limit the spread of Covid-19 by drastically restricting the movement of the population. The ECQ was originally to have ended on April 12, but has since been extended a couple of times in parts of the country. In Calabarzon, the administrative district which covers the province of Laguna, the ECQ has been extended to May 15.

The ECQ has caused loss of income, and also loss of jobs, for many people. Pastors are one group that is affected because when there are no physical Sunday services, offerings drop.

In the last week of March and the first two weeks of April, Camp Goducate Laguna distributed food packs to 383 households in different areas in Laguna, namely, Bay, Calauan and Los Banos. The food packs were also distributed to 301 senior citizens, 51 frontliners (village officials, policemen, and health workers), 60 people with disabilities in Puypuy Bay Laguna, and 83 pastors and life coaches in some parts of Calabarzon.

Distributing food packs

Apart from the food packs, Goducate also distributed pamphlets on the benefits of moringa (malunggay) and how to make moringa powder. Moringa oleifera is a plant widely grown in the Philippines, and its leaves are known to contain many nutrients. Teaching about its health value and how to use it is a program which is part of Goducate’s Health Information Drive. Moringa could be a good alternative source of nutrients during this ECQ because panic buying could mean that vitamins and nutritional supplements are quickly sold out.

Helping out with the distribution of food packs were barangay (village) health workers and officials, members of the police force, pastors, and Goducate scholars.

This food-distribution project was supported by the Meek and Lowly Trust (Singapore), which will also be supporting the distribution of face shields to the Calabarzon area.

Plan for mask distribution

*Our guest writer is Mae Diaz Luceno, staff member in Goducate Laguna.