Aid expected to pour in for differently abled athletes

After Cielo Honasan emerged as the country’s breakout star in the recent 9th Asean Para Games, Mike Barredo hopes to discover more differently abled athletes like her.

“We’re hoping to recruit more young individuals, more women and people from the provinces to try out and be identified as national athletes,” said Barredo, president of the Philippine Paralympic Committee-Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (PPC-Philspada).

Honasan pulled off an impressive golden treble right on her international debut. Just 16 years old, the pride of Botolan, Zambales swept the 100-meter, 200m and 400m sprint events to lead the Philippines’ 20 gold-medal haul in the Asean Para Games in Kuala Lumpur last September.

But Barredo knows it will take a lot of financial support to develop para athletes like Honasan, so the PPC-Philspada organized its own campaign leading to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

The group, together with Rising Tide Mobile Entertainment Inc., launched the mobile donation campaign “Alay Para Atleta” to support the differently abled athletes in their upcoming international competitions.

“This is going to help us push for the implementation of our grassroots development program,” Barredo said during the Monday launch at Kamayan Edsa.
“We hope to generate the resources so we can also come up with the necessary support services, including equipment.”

Under the campaign, anyone can donate from P10 to P500 on their mobile phones by texting AlayPara and the amount to 3456 for both Globe and Smart networks (ex. AlayPara500).

Alvin Patrimonio, the PBA legend and Star Hotshots team manager, also graced the event to kick off the campaign along with UAAP commissioner Rebo Saguisag and several collegiate players.