This is one of my so many memorable
anecdotes while working with the Office of Presidential Protocol for 16 years.
For the three of us, soccer is not just a sport but also a way of life and
part of the socio-cultural fabric of many nations. It is a spiritual activity
for our family and for me, a religion.
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| My pilgrimage to Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Spain (Real Madrid vs Real Santander in 2007) |
I remember during the 2002 World Cup,
my boss then in Malacanang Protocol called me up on a Sunday while I was in Anilao diving
to tell me that then President Arroyo wanted a congratulatory message drafted
to South Korea for being the first Asian country to reach the semis of the
World Cup after beating Spain.
The Chief of Presidential Protocol
(COPP) said she wanted someone who could
appreciate the magnitude of the occasion and the accomplishment, not to mention
familiarity with the game and its terms. I was crying while writing that
message. After it was signed by then President Arroyo I had to ask one of my
colleagues to be the one to send it thru fax to DFA and our Philippine Embassy
in Korea. I'm trying to remember now whether I was crying over South Korea's
accomplishment or because we (Note:
we weren't the only ones) felt Spain got cheated out of that game by the
referee, hahaha. Not to mention, I attended the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 World Cup. We always support Spain (until the time Philippines qualifies) and at that time they
happened to have a very good team.
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