MANILA, Philippines—"Young loves are born in summer."

Stop, look and listen. Heed that romantic warning in this hot-and-rainy season of old and young love.

No, it was not issued by The Bard from Stratford-on-Avon.

That was penned by the Cuyapo Kid, Percy Della, hot rod wordsmith who worshipped in beer parlors and slew the deadline with Ramon Tulfo in the old Philippine News Service.

Read on, please:

"We leave here early morning of May 8 for Phoenix for Teresa's law school commencement on May 9th, the day of your retirement. After I had lent my presence at the Sandra O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State U, the place will never be the same. Lily will shed a few tears on its sacred ground after Teresa receives her juris doctor diploma. Imagine a kanto boy (street-smart kid) from Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija and Candon City in Ilocos Sur will soon have a lawyer in the family. Teresa is cut from the same DNA. Socialista rin, pare. She does not want to join a law firm. She wants to be a public defender for a few years to give back to the community."

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Wow! That indeed is a feat, a game-winning home run.

Percy, who had a short-lived homecoming last year, is now based in Sacramento, California.

You see, those lines were originally intended for Mon Tulfo's column which, needless to say, is more widely read than this one.

Mon is either waiting for the right time or, if not, he's too engrossed perfecting his restaurant at Rizal Park, Miguel's, which serves the finest original kambing caldereta (spicy goat stew) this side of Manila Bay.

Well, it's also my way of reporting on the whereabouts and status of Pistol Percy, who cut diamonds with his sharp, inventive pen during his stint as a young, adventurous sportswriter around here.

Percy's old man prepares a unique, unforgettable caldereta.

But the one Mon serves comes closest to the perfect stuff prepared by Mar Maralit in Lipa City, a hand-down from the great Beses Leyva.

You're right. It's not Mon who does the cooking. The classic caldereta at Miguel's by the bay is done "by a cook from Alba's."

Meaning there's no danger of Mon ever dipping his legendary Chinese sausage fingers in the sauce.

They use chorizo de Bilbao.

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Anyway, aptly reminded about my impending retirement, allow me to share with you a timely letter.

It's the writer's way of saying that, just like to a plane pilot, self-styled sports leaders should not only say sorry, but step out for good after having caused monumental crashes while taking the country for a ride.

Please share these recommendations from this concerned sports lover:

Dear Sir:

I read with interest your commentaries on the failure of Philippine sports, especially on the dismal showing of amateur boxing.

It is ironic and saddening to note that a country, whose population is almost 90 million, has not shown a splendid performance in the sports arena, with the exception of a handful few.

The government and private sector have poured enormous financial resources to support the terminally sick RP sports, to no avail.

Despite their massive failures, the leaders of the various national sports associations have executed a judicial claim to the throne as lifetime leaders of the NSAs.

Where is delicadeza among them, a trait which was taught to us since kindergarten?

The government should pass a law to create a new sports body patterned after the Australian Sports Institute. Maybe we should also look at the colossal sports success of China.

The training and selection of the athletes should no longer be given to the NSAs, which do not accept responsibility for the irreparable damage they have done to our country.

The new sports body should be in-charge of the funding, training, and selection of athletes. A grassroots training program should be instituted to select the bright prospects in sports. The athletes should be provided with good nutrition, decent quarters, medical attention and scholarship from elementary to college, respectable stipend and retirement benefits.

More importantly, values should be taught from the start. We should do away with the desire to win at all cost, which led to the failure of a number of Olympic pseudo-greats.

Ethics, love of God and country should be imbibed in the hearts of all athletes and officials. Then maybe, God willing, we could slowly find our way under the sun.

Boy Blue P. Filomeno
45 Mahogany St., SJDM, Bulacan