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By Amiel Martin A. Cabanlig
The gods must be crazy, in a munificent way that
is! While the spirited participants for this year’s NESTEA Beach
2008 were already blistering from Bora’s intense summer sun,
Ganymede’s gift for the hard-line athlete chilled with ice,
Nestea, was served to everyone’s delight.
Then, tadah! Droplet from the heavens began to
pour and quench the parched ground. It was perfectly timed for the
games as the searing powdery white Bora sand became the
competitors’ companion.
It was fun in the sun to the Olympian level for
the 2008 Beach Volley!
On hand to welcome everyone to the summer
hotspot were Nestlé executives led by Nestlé Senior Vice President
and Business Executive Manager for beverages Dennis Austriaco, Nestlé
AVP and NESTEA consumer Marketing Manager Tina Samaco, NESTEA brand
activation Assistant Manager Ronald Chuacokiong, marketing,
promotions and events cluster head for beverages Carlos Vergara and
NESTEA Category Manager Yods Enriquez, who were joined by Malay
Mayor Ceciron Cawaling.
Also on hand were Philippine Volleyball
Federation president Pedro Mendoza, secretary general, beach volley
commission chairman and NESTEA Beach Volley National Circuit
tournament Director Otie Camangian, Publicis Manila business unit
Director Charmaine Campañer, Executive Vice President and client
services Director Ronald Barreiro and La Carmela de Boracay Resort
Hotel President Mon Perez.
The Boracay event attracted droves of
holidaymakers and beach volley fans alike. From 72 teams from
43 colleges and universities nationwide that competed in the
regional eliminations held at the Tagum Beach Volley Drome at Rotary
Park, Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park and University of St. La
Salle Bacolod, 18 teams from 14 schools made it to the semis and
final rounds in sunny Boracay.
All teams competed for a total of over half a
million pesos in prizes, with Rolando Agus and Arnel Amadeo of
Foundation University winning the men’s title and Janelle Tabio
and Florian Gutierrez of Southwestern University taking the
women’s crown. Champion teams received P100,000 cash each
with their respective coaches taking home a cool P25,000 cash prize
as well.
Runners-up in the men’s division are Jonrey
Sasing and James Ryan Rivera of University of Southern Philippines
Foundation and Emmanuel Marlon Luces and Mark Sabusap of University
of St. La Salle Bacolod who won P80,000 and P55,000, respectively. In
the women’s side, runners-up are Janez Armie Igot and Jusabelle
Brillo of University of the Visayas and Mylin Que and Liezl Manatad
of University of Mindanao-Tagum who likewise received P80,000 and
P55,000, respectively.
More than just a summer sports exhibition,
NESTEA Beach 2008 also showcased beach volley matches of
tinseltown’s brightest starsin the celebrity. There were four
teams in the celebrity match-Team PBB (Pinoy Big Brother) headed by
Will Devaughn, Team VJ’s headed by VJ Drei, Team Media with Philip
Cu Unjieng and our team headed by Brad Turvey.
Helping to make NESTEA Beach 2008 become grander
is its partners, who were out in full force during the launch.
Expressing their support were Ammiel de Leon and Glen Macadaeg of
Havaianas, Edelyn Yanilla, and Malu Nuñez of Speedo, Anil Buxani of
Mikasa, Sharon Presbitero, Kat Reyes and Doris Tan of Penshoppe,
Issa Lacorte and Mercy Reyes of Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park,
Jimmy Coscoluella, Patricia Barretto and Kay Faustino of Le Soleil
de Boracay Hotel, Rowena Amodia of La Carmela de Boracay Resort
Hotel, Jose Noli Genovia of D’Mall, D’Boracay, Jay Olle of Hey!
Jude Resort Hotel and Bing Tanalgo and Rose Tanalgo-Meim of Bacolod
Chicken Inasal.
“This year, NESTEA Beach Volley went national
as we now bring action-packed beach volley games in four areas:
Tagum, Bacolod City, Cavite and of course, Boracay,” says Samaco,
who adds that NESTEA will adopt one beach each year as part of its
beach clean-up efforts with Island Garden City of Samal being this
year’s adopted beach. The Boracay finals were no exception as
celebrities, volleyball players and vacationers alike took to the
sands after competition to tidy up White Beach.
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