By: Rhen De Guzman
The 20th edition of the EMA Cup Golf Tournament will tee off on June 7 at Pinewoods Golf and Country Club in Suello, Baguio City, a milestone celebration of two decades of community service through sport.
Inspired by the message of the song “Pananagutan,” Atty. Edgar M. Avila organized the first EMA Cup in the 1990s, during his time as congressman of Baguio.
His goal was to support projects that couldn’t rely solely on government funding.
“When we started, the PFVR Youth Center in Baguio was still under construction,” Avila recalled. “Of course, you can’t always depend on the government for support, so we thought of holding a golf tournament to raise funds and help out.”
The first official EMA Cup was held in 1997.
Over the years, it supported various beneficiaries before permanently partnering with the Rotary Club of Downtown Session and the St. Theresa Foundation.
“At first, the beneficiaries varied, one time it was a church in Benguet, then different NGOs. But eventually we settled with organizations that share our mission to serve others,” he said.
The tournament has funded scholarship programs, medical missions, and community water systems.
It has also raised nearly 5 million pesos for dialysis treatments at Baguio General Hospital and donated four ambulances through the PCSO.
“This event has been able to support so many,” Avila shared. “Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we’ve made a real difference.”
He expressed gratitude to supporters who continued to believe in the tournament’s purpose.
“Maybe it’s because they trust our mission. The projects we do through EMA Cup are very transparent and truly benefit the community,” he said.
As part of its tradition of transparency, the live raffle draw of the 20th EMA Cup will be streamed on Atty. Avila’s official Facebook page.
