Not so long ago an all-important 3-day seminar-workshop on community engagement through sports was organized by Sport Management Council of the Philippines (SportPhil). The event “RePLAY, ReLIVE, ReCREATE” (3Rs) was held last July 16 to 18, 2015 in selected venues in Tacloban, Leyte and Basey, Samar.
In partnership with Chung Ang University students and teachers from Korea, and through the help of sponsors and supporters: UP Tacloban, PALO National High School, Basey National High School, and Leyte Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the SportPhil-organized seminar was able to train a total of 83 teachers, representing 45 schools from Leyte and Samar, on the principles and methodology of using Inclusive Sport for Development in schools and communities. Beyond the program, SportPhil also encouraged the teachers to create action plans towards encouraging play, games and sport for the schools and communities – a feat that can potentially enhance the lives of 20,000+ children.
SportPhil founder Geraldine Go-Bernardo emphasizes how sports help empower communities and she aims to continue the positive outcomes since starting the 3R program. “Back when we did this sometime March of last year, the initial project was all about sport for relief for psychosocial intervention based on what happened in Tacloban after Haiyan,” she shares. “We promised the participants that this will not be a one-shot thing and now that we have Thor Manlangit for Sports Science and Dr. Marissa Adviento for Sports Psychology, certainly this program has become bigger, better.”
The 3R program was first launched in 2014, three months post-typhoon Haiyan, with the main objective to build the capacity of PE teachers and coaches on the use of sports as tool for psychosocial relief and community engagement. Through partnerships and donations from local and international organizations, SportPhil provided support and training to nearly 200 participants, many of whom continue to apply today the methods taught to them in encouraging social interaction and rekindling a sense of hope among their students.
“The psychosocial intervention using sports is a very important program especially in the context of the Philippines where we are faced with a lot of disasters. Now, we also are using sports as a viable alternative to other interventions to help our communities recover and get back on their feet and be able to move forward from disasters and crisis,” explains Marissa Adviento, Ph.D., RP, of SportPhil Psychology.
Now after organizing it twice successfully already, SportPhil only hopes for the continuous development of the 3Rs as an effective and sustainable program. A monitoring and evaluation system will be integrated into the entire process of this initiative in the succeeding years.
“We hope that this consciousness will not only stay here. We hope that this will really spread. We’re beginning with teachers here in Tacloban and we hope that with the awareness that the PE teachers have now from this program, they’ll begin to share it with other people, too. Physical education, and playing games and sports will become very essential in the psychosocial support aspect especially post-disaster,” adds Thor Manlangit, Jr. of SportPhil Science.
3R learning outcomes:
- To equip participants with the knowledge and skills to utilize inclusive play, games and sport to facilitate community engagement and development
- To develop in them the understanding of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the application of different technical and management skills in the planning and execution of sport development programs.
- To allow participants to experience, design and conduct physical activities that encourage inclusive participation.
Check out a video package featuring the first RePLAY, ReLIVE, ReCREATE program here:
