To most people, May 15, 2022, which is a Sunday, is a rest and recreation day, especially a payday.
But for the students and graduates of Holy Cross College of Calinan, May 15 is extra-special since it is the day the Blessed Marie Rivier the, founder of Presentation of Mary (PM) of Sisters who manages the school, was officially canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as a Saint.
Ironically, on the same, the opening of the biggest basketball tournament among HCCC high school batches in terms of participants and prizes is also being conducted inside the refurbished Calinan Gymnasium.
The opening of the HCCC Alumni Basketball Cup 2022 started with an early morning mass at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church just in front of the HCCC campus.
After the mass, a motorcade was conducted in some of the streets of Calinan Poblacion to let the people know of the opening of the basketball tournament that features the former graduates of the HCCC high school department.
The motorcade features the sponsoring batch HCCC Batch 1995 where this writer proudly belongs, the participating teams, and the special guests in the opening day Barangay Ginebra young Davaoeno stars Digos City, Davao del Sur native Scottie Thompson and Magsaysay, Davao del Sur Sur resident Nards Pinto.
After the motorcade, a simple opening program was conducted inside the Calinan gymnasium, wherein the two PBA stars were mobbed by the HCCC graduates who were too happy to see them up close and personal and not just on television.
Both Thompson and Pinton gamely pose with the Holy Crossan alumni for selfies and videos like true professionals.
The two also took time to playfully shoot some hoops with their supporters.
Pinto, a regular fixture in Calinan gym before he went to Manila to study and play professionally, led the oath of sportsmanship among the HCCC Batches.
Former HCCC high school principal Letty Palarca also graced the occasion on behalf of HCCC Alumni president Peter Parian who is out due to a prior commitment.
In her speech, Palarca expressed joy that the traditional Alumni Basketball Cup is being organized again two years since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Palarca also welcomed Thompson and Pinto to Calinan and revealed that her husband is a die hard Ginebra fan.
She also announced the search for the outstanding HCCC Alumni.
Aside from Palarca, Calinan Barangay Captain Urisicio Mantiza Ungab also joined the opening festivity, wherein he welcomed all the participants in the tournament and reminded them to always follow the basic health safety protocols.
Thompson, for his part, also shared some words of wisdom to the participating teams to always strive hard to achieve their goals.
He also spearheaded the ceremonial opening tip.
Before the opening day program ended, two special awards were also given to batch 2008, aka Brave Aguilas, for being the early bird in paying their team's registration and Batch 2012 for having the best team monicker, the Braders!
Brawlers, Bulldogs, Red Horse Drew 1st Blood
HCCC Batches 1996, 1997, and 2000 were the big winners on day one of the basketball tournament.
The HCCC Batch 1996 Brawlers use their brawn and power to prey on HCCC Batch 1993 Roosters.
The game is quite close as the two teams want to win, but eventually, the Brawlers showed class and put an end to the Roosters in their game.
In the second game, the HCCC Batch 1997 Bulldogs showed that their teeth were much stronger than the Sundowners in their game.
Bulldogs came up big with a win.
In the third and last game, the HCCC Batch 2000 Red Horse intoxicate the seemingly unbeatable HCCC Batch 2001 Titans to come up victorious in their game. (Romeo Braceros Jr.)
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