60. First Filipina Olympians: THE FABULOUS FOUR OF THE 1956 MELBOURNE OLYMPICS

FIRST FOUR. The first ever Filipina Olympians--Francisca Sanopal, Manolita Cinco, Getrudes Lozada
and Jocelyn von Giese, march proudly into the Melbourne Olympic Stadium, with M. Shea, an official.

Praises continue to be heaped on the  Filipina athletes at the 2018 Asia Games in Palembang, Indonesia for their Gold Meal feats. And rightfully so, for the women—Hidylin Diaz (Weightlifting), the team of Yuki Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, Lois Kaye Go (Golf) and Margielyn Didal (Skateboard)—outdid their male counterparts this time who still have to win  one. But half a century before, four Filipina athletes distinguished themselves by becoming the first women from the country to compete in the quadrennial Olympics--the premiere sporting event of the world.

Actually, since 1924, the country has been sending athletes to the summer games —but all males. But this changed at the  XVI Olympiad in the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia, when 4 Filipinas saw action for the first time in various sports disciplines. Making history were: Manolita Cinco (80m hurdles), Gertrudez Lozada (100m, 400m freestyle), Francisca Sanopal (80m hurdles), and Jocelyn von Giese (100m backstroke). Let’s meet these pioneering Filipina athletes who were the first to flex their Pinay Power, long before the golden triumphs of our girls in the recent Asiad.

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FRANCISCA SANOPAL, Athletics

The Philippines’ top female low hurdler of the 1950s, Francisca Sanopal (b. 1931) was unbeatable in her specialty—the 80 meter hurdles. The national champion was sent to Melbourne to compete in her favorite event. She ran in the qualifying Heat 5, clocking in at 11.8 secs. (hand-timed) or 12.15 (automatic time),good enough for 5^th place. Francisca bettered her time in 1957, with an 11.4 clocking.  In 1958, she made her presence felt at the Asian Games in Tokyo, winning two Silvers (80 m. hurdles, behind Japan’s Michiko Iwamoto/ 4x 100 meter relay, with Inocencia Solis, Rogelia Ferrer, and Irene Penuela).

MANOLITA CINCO, Athletics

Manolita Cinco (born 1932), like Francisca, was a topnotch low hurdler at 80 meters, but she was also a champion sprinter. No wonder, she, too, was sent to the Melbourne Olympics to compete in an event where teammate Francisca Sanopal was already entered. She ran in Heat 3, and registered a hand-time clocking of 12.1 seconds (12.20, automatic time), placing 7^th and last. This experience served her well, as Manolita was won the Bronze two years later at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, behind Francisca, who secured the Silver. A cancer survivor later in life, Manolita is married to Alejano Dopeno. Of the athletes of her generation, she says:“Disiplinado  kami noon at  masunurin  sa  coach. Walang  incentives  na  pera pero serious kami  lahat .Back then, we were disciplined and we obeyed our coach. We didn’t receive any incentive,  but we were all serious).”

GERTRUDES LOZADA, Swimming

Gertrudes or “Tuding” Lozada, born in 1943, came from the famous swimming Lozada Family which originated swim schools in the country. Two other sisters, Corazon and Tessie would become world-class swimmers like her. But it was Tuding who was first to display her skill in the pool, winning races early in various age meets in the country. Soon, she was beating adults at sprints and middle-distance swimming races. Tuding surprised everyone when she was named as member of the Philippine swimming team for the 1956 Melbourne Olympiad—she was just 13.

When the Philippine Team landed in Melbourne, Tuding became a media sensation. Newsmen covering the world’s premiere sporting event called the young teener, “Baby of the Olympics”.  She was widely photographed and even athletes from other countries sought out the Filipina swimming prodigy to make her acquaintance. Tuding competed in two events—the 100 meter freestyle where she placed last in her heat, and in the 400 meter free, where she placed 6th.

Tuding would have a long career—winning Gold and Silver at the 1958 Asian Games( 400 meter free, 4x100 m. freestyle); she was just 15. She would win more medals at the 1962 Asian Games (Silver, Bronze fr 4x100 free, 4x100 individual medley). Tuding , the youngest Philippine Olympian in history (Akiko Thompson was almost 14 when she competed in her first Olympics in Seoul), retired from competitive swimming shortly in the 1970s, and today, she runs a swimming school bearing her name.

JOCELYN VON GIESE, (Swimming)

Jocelyn (b. 1936) belongs to the sensational swimming von Giese sisters of the Philippines. Sisters Sonia, Sandra (b. 15 Nov. 1939), and Sylvia all made the national team that competed abroad, with the 2 elder girls making it to the Olympics. Of German-Filipino parentage, the four were nieces of famous actress Paraluman (Sigrid Von Giese,  in real life) which was played up in media every time they competed.

 In 1956, Jocelyn qualified for the Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia and went on to compete in the 100 meter backstroke event. She swam in Heat 2 of the preliminary races, clocking in at 1:20.0, placing 7^th and last. But it was a good experience for the 21-year old, as in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games, Jocelyn, along with sister  Sandra, Victoria Cagayat and Haydee Coloso won Gold with a time of  5:22.2 minutes after the disqualification of the Japanese team.Meanwhile, Sonia made it to the Rome Olympics in 1960. There have been many swimming siblings in Philippine swimming like the Lozadas, Kiunisalas, Borjas and Papas, but none as celebrated in their time as the beautiful sisters Von Giese, led by Jocelyn von Giese.

SOURCES:

Manolita Cinco: http://manilastandard.net/mobile/article/151022

PROGRESS ’56, p. 229

www.sports-reference.com (Bio,Stats, Results), for Francisca, Sanopal, Manolita Cinco, Gertrudes Lozada, Jocelyn von Giese,

55. The Kapampangan Traveler: G'DAYS IN SYDNEY

(Originally published on K Magazine, 2005 issue)

How would you like to blow my didgeridoo? Pet my wallaby? Catch a kookaboora? Or better still, diddle with my dingo? Anything and everything is possible in the amazing land of OZ—Australia, that is—the island continent down under, where I had the chance to do all these (well, almost!) when I took off for the 2000 Olympic City—Sydney—on several business and leisure trips. Mates, do I love my job!

 Sydney is just an overnight sleep away on a Qantas flight, seven hours and twenty minutes, to be exact. After a quick stop at Melbourne, I arrived in Sydney wide awake and all my pre-conceived notions about this country populated in part by 19th century convicts and prisoners vanished as quickly as a kangaroo kick on my face. Sydney is a people-friendly place, a melting pot of cultures that has become inexplicably and uniquely Australian, blending English aristocracy with aboriginal pride, with a dash of Asian and Pacific flavors thrown in.

 The first thing that hit me upon arrival was the thick Paul Hogan accent that sounded like English spoken while chewing extra-thick bubble gum. That took awhile to get used to, and it was indeed fascinating to converse with expatriated Filipinos speaking with that distinctive Australian brogue, which, after awhile became quite affecting, g’ness gracious, mates!

 En route to Darling Harbor, I surveyed the perfectly-preserved historic districts that date back to the Victorian age, still functional after all these years. Ancient church spires and Victorian gingerbreads gave way to a sleeker, modern skyline as I neared the harbor, the commercial heart fo the city. One can cover the different districts from here, with a Monorail providing quick, convenient access. Right across my hotel was the Harborside shopping area, lined with seafood restaurants, boutiques and hundreds of tourist traps!

 But shopping was not on top of my priority list of to-do’s. Soon as I dropped my bags at Novotel, I hied off to tour the city, starting with the famed Australian cultural landmark, the Sydney Opera House. The house sits majestically on Bennelong Point, overlooked by the great Sydney Harbour bridge. Like 3 orange segments, the sectioned roofs with their pure curving shapes, rise from the harbour, a family of forms rooted in expressionist modern style. The house was designed by Jorn Utzon, and was built from 1957-1973, an awe-inspiring architectural and engineering marvel of the 20th century.

 Hyde Park was another sight to see, a wide expanse of greens dotted with old world obelisks, monuments and statues, including that of Captain Cook. The Victoria shopping district is a fine example of the successful preservation and conservation programs of the Australian government, re-engineering old, otherwise inutile buildings for contemporary use as malls, commercial and business spaces.

 Sydney isn’t Sydney without the surf, sun and sand, and so Bondi Beach was my next stop, a beach bum’s paradise with an endless coastal line perfect for swimming, surfing and sailing. But with the nippy September weather upon us, the much ballyhooed bikini-wearing Baywatch babes and hunky Aussie lifeguards were nowhere to be found!

 For the culturati, Sydney has a lively arts-and-culture scene that is not quite West End or Broadway, at least, not yet. But the few entertainment offerings are still of world-class quality. At the Capitol Theater near Haymarket (famous for its weekend flea markets), I watched the Australian staging of Miss Saigon, starring our very own Cocoy Laurel and Joanna Ampil. There was a sizeable Pinoy crowd judging from the shouts of “Mabuhay” during the curtain calls, audible from my seat. For one moment, I swelled with pride as the international audience gave the Pinoy-dominated cast a standing ovation after another. I was humming “Last Night of the World” in my fake Australian accent all the way to my hotel.

 The natural wonders of Australia were next on my itinerary. I had delirious visions of wild bushlands, inhospitable terrains and savage heat that would put to shame the hellish conditions dramatized in the “Survivors” reality TV show. However, upon arriving at the Wildlife Park, I went a-goo-goo and a-gaga over the furry little koalas, the spritely kangaroos and their joeys, wallabies and even cute wombats in this well-maintained animal sanctuary!

 An hour’s drive from there, the landscape drastically changed as the Blue Mountains loomed in sight. Echo Point provided a look-out vantage point to the awesome natural marvels that include an unusual rock formation called “Three Sisters”, three rock towers jutting sky high from the ground. There was a legend surrounding “Three Sisters”, but I doubt if it’s as colorful as the account of our very own Sinukuan and his 3 daughters. Definitely not for the faint-hearted is a ride on the Skyway that takes you across the deep gorge while suspended inside an iron cage!

 My last trip top Sydney was arranged under different circumstances in 1999, for this time, I came back to shoot a commercial for Jag Jeans with my producers, creative team and clients. That meant staying in a budget hotel at the celebrated Oxford Street, which I didn’t mind really. Much like New York’s Greenwich Village, Oxford is the bohemian enclave of Sydney, where quirky artists, leather-clad skinheads and pierced punks, gays and lesbians congregate with their own kind amidst surf shops, 2nd hand book stores, porn and fetish boutiques, gay clubs and bistros.

 My interest though was more on the quaint antique shops on South Dowling Street and at Woolhara, which carried an assortment of antique frames, books, playthings, furniture, jewelry and plain junk. Here, wheeling and dealing is the name of the game and I haggled until I was blue in my face over a large green apothecary jar which I finally got for my bottle collection. But if Oxford is non-conformist, nearby King’s Cross is hardcore. This is a tamer version of Patpong, a more sophisticated Fields Avenue, but still as notorious for its promise of sex and sleaze at every bend.

 Sydney’s open, tolerant attitude—a broadened perspective that is shared by most of Australia—may as well be its biggest attraction. With little exception, Asians will feel welcomed here, and the motley of Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Filipino communities co-habiting peacefully are a testament to Australia’s open-arms policy, regardless of creed, conviction, and yes, even sexual orientation. The annual gay and lesbian parade, a festival that celebrates alternative lifestyles and which has grown into an event of international proportions, further solidifies the country’s liberal stance. 

So, mates, if you want to resist the usual, if you crave unbridled adventure to the extreme—Sydney, with all its wild, amazing wonders, a rich cultural heritage and a happy-go-lucky, anything goes approach to life—is the place to be!

38. TRAVELS WITH JIMBASIC

JimenezBasic is known in the advertising industry for its legendary foreign trips, a way of rewarding its people for a job well done. In the 1st year that the agency made its first profit of P90,000, it decided to splurge on a Hong Kong trip for its then 10 employees. The agency has grown by leaps and bounds since, and today, it is the country's number one creative agency powered by 120 driven creative, hardworking and passionate young ad people. The tradition of travel has also continued, depending on the annual agency performance, of course. In these journeys, everyone gets to go--senior officers, copywriters, art directors, secretaries, company messengers, janitors and coffee boys. The Jimenezes believe that the experience of world travel is something money can't buy--and everyone agree! We've seen the Great Wall of China, got our tans in Bali, sheared sheep in Sydney, holidayed in Hong Kong twice, touched the Taj in India, swung thru Singapore and got tongue-Thai'd in Bangkok. There was a year that we chose London as our destination--but not everyone got a visa; the British Embassy was just incredulous that the company could afford to send its staff for an English junket. "All for one and one for all" had always been our battlecry, so we decided to have our tea in visa-free Hong Kong instead--for 5 heady days of shopping, and with free spending money! And what about this year? Well, this December, we're closing shop for 4 days, to see if there are indeed lumpia in Shanghai!

1995: SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

1996: BEIJING, CHINA

1997: HONGKONG

2000: SINGAPORE

2002: BALI, INDONESIA

2004: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

2005: NEW DELHI, AGRA, INDIA

2006: BANGKOK, THAILAND

2007: SHANGHAI, CHINA

2010: ATHENS, GREECE

2011: MARRAKESH, CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

2012: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA