Mindanaotoday.com | Lanao del Norte hosts all-star celebrity basketball game
By: Lou Ellen Antonio
TUBOD, Lanao del Norte – The province took the spotlight as it hosted an exciting All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game, bringing 11 celebrities for a fun and competitive game held at the Mindanao Civic Center Gymnasium.
The All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game was just one of the many activities lined up for the province’s founding anniversary celebration this coming July.
The game was held ahead of schedule to give way to more exciting events that are set to happen in the coming months.
“In this coming Araw ng Lanao del Norte, everybody will join in the celebration. This is only the beginning, we will have more fun to come,” said Vice Governor Allan Lim.
The game featured celebrities, namely Paolo Gumabao, Gerard Acao, Bugoy Cariño, Axel Torres, Archie Alemania, Raven Molina, and Bidaman Thor Gomez, Kirst Viray, Josef Elizalde, Yuki Sakamoto, and Vincent Jarin.
The crowd was thrilled as they witnessed the celebrity team outshine the players from the PGLDN team of the province, composed of employees from different departments. It was an intense game that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
The game ended with the celebrity team winning by a score of 86 to 74.
The celebrities also took the opportunity to share some inspiring messages with the youth of the province. They highlighted the importance of having dreams and working hard to achieve them, prioritizing education, avoiding drugs, and following one’s passion.
Paolo Gumabao encouraged the youth to dream and work hard to achieve their goals, while Gerard Acao emphasized the importance of studying well and avoiding bad influences.
“Mag-aral nang mabuti. Huwag gastusin ang suporta ng mga magulang kung saan-saan dahil mahirap magpaaral ng bata. Tapos sports, number one sports para iwas sa mga kalokohan,” said Acao.
(Study well. Do not spend parents’ support anywhere because it is difficult to educate a child. Engaging in sports is a great way to avoid bad influences)
Meanwhile, Thor Gomez advised them to follow their passion and stay away from drugs, while Bugoy Casino reminded everyone to pursue their dreams and be happy.
Kirst Viray highlighted the importance of sports in keeping youth away from drugs and showed their support for the province’s efforts to promote a safe and secure environment through sports.
“Bola huwag droga” kaya nga kami nandito kasi gusto nga natin ipakita na as celebrity makikita ng mga taga-Manila na safe pumunta dito ang mga celebrity, ang feeling niya kasi, pag sinabing Mindanao nakakatakot. Ngayon kami pinapakita natin na safe dito,” said Viray.
(Ball, not drugs. That’s why we are here because we want to show that, as celebrities, people from Manila will see that it is safe for celebrities to come here. They thought that Mindanao was frightening. Now we show them that it is safe here)
Moreover, Axel Torres praised the food and hospitality in the province, while Archie Alemania addressed misconceptions about Mindanao’s safety. He said that they felt safe being in the province.
Aside from basketball, other fun games were played by the celebrities. Peter Mendijar, who is also a celebrity, also co-hosted the event. (LELA | PIA-10 | Lanao del Norte)
###