Go for green, and gold, in Palaro–Luistro

MANILA, Philippines—Compete, but think green.

More than just going for the gold, student athletes should go for the green in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa, according to Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.

Luistro called on an expected 10,000 athletes and coaches who will gather in host Dapitan City next month to do their share in reducing the waste during the games.

Heaps of plastic, styrofoam and other trash usually pile up and litter the sports venues every year.

“We would like this Palarong Pambansa to be a green Palarong Pambansa. We hope the participants would show discipline by not bringing plastic or styrofoam,”  Luistro told a recent press conference.

<strong>Show discipline</strong>

“They should go for a green medal that symbolizes their love for God’s blessing. It is important that the athletes show discipline rather than just show that, here, I won a gold medal,” said the Department of Education official.

The annual student games are expected to draw 10,000 athletes from schools in 17 regions across the country to Dapitan City from May 8 to 14.

The students will compete in the 17 sporting events, including ball games, racket games, track and field, and combat sports.

The DepEd is planning to handout special awards to teams and players that prove to be environment-friendly.

“We are thinking of including special awards that reflect how they take care of the environment,” said Luistro.

<strong>Not required</strong>

But he said he would not make the green mindset a requirement as he hoped to see the students take the initiative: From bringing their own reusable lunch packs, spoons and forks to throwing garbage in segregated bins.

“It’s not just about how we play but how we prepare the place, use water or abuse the resources given us,” he said.

Luistro, who recently inspected the Zamboanga del Norte venue, said he had coordinated with local officials on the proper handling of the garbage to be left at the sporting venues and how to instill discipline among participants and spectators.

“We met with officers of the host city and we were trying to bring this to their attention—how the garbage could be managed, crowds disciplined… We are looking at aspects of sports other than winning,” Luistro said.

Aside from physical cleanliness, Luistro also vowed to eliminate cheats and corruption in the games through stricter screening of participants, more stringent guidelines for delegation members and better monitoring of fund disbursements.

This year’s games will cost around P136 million, said DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali.