Unilever donates basketball court

TACLOBAN CITY – Filipinos are known to be fun loving people and always love recreation activities to include sports. Among sports, it is basketball that tops the most among the list of popular ball games. Reason why most towns and even barangays have basketball court; some are concrete, half-court and other are just improvised. This made Uniliver Philippines through its product Alaxan to implement a project that would not only promote sports but also revive the volunteerism spirits of Filipino, which we call “bayanihan” or “pintakasi” in local term. The bayanihan concept that Alaxan through its tag line “Alaxan Galing Mo!” is implementing is called “Court of Inspiration.” Ten selected areas in the Visayas and Mindanao were chosen by the company to become beneficiary, among which is Brgy. 95-A in this city. Last Sunday, representative from Uniliver and Geiser Maclang, their promotional firm, launch the project in this city through a groundbreaking ceremony participated in by barangays officials and more than 70 male volunteers. For 21 days the full court basketball court is expected to be finished through a shifting schedule of volunteer workers. “We want to revive the spirit of bayanihan, this beautiful trait of Filipinos that is slowly forgotten by most of us,” said Gerry Pacled, program media coordinator. “We hope that after 21 days or less, the construction would be finished so that residents of the barangays would benefit it immediately,” she added. Pacled added that once the basketball court is finished four PBA legends are to grace its inauguration, will conduct basketball clinic and a chance to play basketball with some barangays residents. The land where the basketball court of Alaxan is to be constructed according to Brgy. 95-A Councilman Engr Rogelio Obiña was donated by the family of their incumbent barangays chairman. “He did not hesitate to allow and donate the land to Alaxan for the implementation of this project because according to him this is an early gift for us in the barangays,” the councilman said. He added that, they had long been looking and waiting for anyone who could give them founds in construction a basketball court for their barangays, and this was answered through the Uniliver. He added that this would inspire their constituents and make them become active in sports that could result to a healthier lifestyle.