'Social call' a good start to Noli Eala's partnership with POC as PSC chair

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (seated, fifth from left) and his Executive Board welcome newly-appointed Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala in a dinner Monday night at the East Ocean Garden Restaurant in Pasay City. With Tolentino and Eala are (seated, from left) POC Treasurer Cynthia Carrion Norton, Board Member Dr. Raul Canlas, Auditor Chito Loyzaga, First Vice President Al Panlilio, Second Vice President Richard Gomez, Board Members Pearl Managuelod, (standing, from left) Dave Carter, Chief Legal Counsel Atty. Wharton Chan and Deputy Secretary General Bones Floro. Eala formally took over the reins of the PSC on Monday morning, a week after Malacanang announced his appointment. POC

By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala said that the meeting he had with some top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee on Monday night was not that formal and more of simple chitchat over dinner.

"It was really a social call," Eala said in his first appearance in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum as PSC chairman the morning after inside the PSC office.

Among those present for the POC board were President Bambol Tolentino, who according to Eala "was very courteous and gracious in hosting a dinner for me," First Vice President Al Panlilio, Second Vice President Richard Gomez, Treasurer Cynthia Carrion-Norton, Deputy Secretary General Bones Floro, Auditor Chito Loyzaga, Board Members Dave Carter, George Canlas, and Pearl Managuelod, and Chief Legal Counsel Wharton Chan.

"It was a very good way to meet the board of the POC," Eala continued.

Despite the dinner being "not supposed to be a formal working meeting," Eala said that the seriousness remained during the dinner.

"We discussed I think basically some of the things that had transpired in the past. There was also an opportunity for them to give me some of the feedback that they have and their concerns in terms of the relationship between the POC and the PSC. I was there to listen. I was not there to make any demand or request," he further said.

Further commenting on the dinner meeting, Eala sees optimism that his partnership with the POC will blossom further as the days go by as Philippine sports looks to continue in its recent major successes.

"I think it was a good start. All is well for Philippine sports. It shows the united front. This is what we need. It shows the cooperation among the major stakeholders, which are the POC and the PSC, and I feel very confident that my relationship particularly with President Tolentino will help us steer the agenda of Philippine sports in the right direction, so I'm very happy with the way it turned out last night," he further said.

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