The last phase of the Heroes Wall of Fame mural project will be launched on Wednesday, July 19, the eponymous Publications and Media Works (e-Pub) announced this week.
The third and final component will be the biggest where nearly 60 athletes/sportsmen will be featured in 24 walls at the big grandstand of the Baguio athletic bowl, the e-Pub announced over Facebook.
With no big sponsor this time, the Final Push, as the phase is called, may take longer to be finished with a six month timeline so that e-Pub may be able to get financial backings to finish the work that may even exceed the 60 projected figures.
Again, Southeast Asian Games winners are expected to dominate the wall of fame as well as a world muay Thai champion as one of the highlights.
Newly minted world muay Thai queen Islay Erika Bomogao leads the inductees to the wall and she will be joined by kickboxers Gina Iniong Araos and Claudine Veloso. The ONE’s Graceful Jenelyn Olsim will be joined by brother and former kickboxing champion Jerry Olsim. The siblings have recently opened their own gym at their hometown in Bokod, Benguet.
“I do hope that it will be done by manong Harold (Banario),” whispered Olsim during a pictorial with Bomogao, Araos and Veloso at the Jesuit Eco-Park with noted photographer Noli Gabilo.
The four were quite impressed with Banario’s work on the Team Lakay mural as well as that of their former team mates Jean Claude Saclag and Rhea May Rifani.
Wushu players will dominate this edition with inductees coming from the two disciplines, sanda (combat) and taolu (form).
The late Rexel Nganhayna, athlete turned wushu coach and now restaurateur Michael Humiding, George Lusadan and Rolly Chulhang are among former national team members to grace the walls.
Humiding was coach to the other three with Chulhang as the first to earn a silver in the Asian Games. Chulhang and Lusadan were the seniors of Mark Sangiao and Eduard Folayang, while Nganhayna were their teammate when they saw action in 2001 SEAG and where he won a silver medal, while Sangiao and now fight choreographer Jearome Calica were gold medal winners. The then 18 year old Folayang failed to win a medal.
Sangiao later took over the coaching duties of Humiding, who quit the coaching job to practice his profession, as a psychologist, and later as athletic director for the University of Baguio and later King’s College of the Philippines.
They will be joined by the present national wushu sanda player in Gideon Fred Padua.
Their taolu counterparts to be inducted in the wall are John Keithley Chan and the Chan siblings of Kariza Kriz and twins Dustin and Justin Chan.
Natasha Laxamana, Kariza’s partner in the 2015 and 2017 SEAG where they won bronze medals will be joining them as well as current national team members Jones Inso and Thornton Lou Sayan.
Actually the Wednesday launching will have the Chans as the initial inductees for the last push of the mural project and to be done by Ged Alanui.
The other athletes are: Ruscha Bayacsan (Muay Thai) and coaches Billy Alumno, Edzel Ngina and Zaidi Laruan.
There is also Kobe Macario from Taekwondo, Buguias mayor Ruben Tindaan and the late Arsenio Bawingan, Jr., both Karate black belts.
There is also judoka Racquel Lorenzo, Helen Aclopen (judo/sambo kurash) and Mark Striegl (sambo).
In arnis, it will be two time SEA old medal winner Crisamuel Delfin and 2019 SEAG gold medal winners Elmer Manlapas and Abegail Abad.
Athletics will be former Gintong Alay members Alex Cabosura, Manuel and David Carmelo, Ed Laureano and Art Alimbuyao.
The others are: Sandi Abahan Che Alberto and Kath Santos.
Former Far East Games participant Federico Mandapat, Sr. and his three sons led by his namesake Federico, Jr. are also slated for painting. The Ramos family led by Josh and Lou Ann are also scheduled for painting for their promotion of triathlon.
Three basketball players are also included, the legend himself Robert Jaworski and PBA originals Romualdo Cabading and Florendo Ritualo Sr.
There are also golfers in Fred Puckett, Fil-Am Golf founder Rogelio dela Rosa and former professional Danny Zarate.
Former pro bowler Bec Watanabe is slated this time along with the spouse tandem of Stephanie Sabalo and Angelo Marquez.
The others are: Raniel Resuello (Bike Racing), Raffy Panagan and Brico Santig for boxing promotion, the late Dr. Charles Cheng for Amateur Boxing; councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, the late Ramon Dacawi for sports journalism, the late bishop Carlito Cenzon for golf promotion and Leonides Bautista for the promotion of chess. Pigeon Lobien