AFFECTED like everybody else in the country by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, members of Baguio-based Team Lakay are turning to their Igorot heritage to get themselves through the crisis.
Left to do training on their own for now as government measures in place against the coronavirus prevent them from working on their game in the collective in their gym, members of Team Lakay said the last month and a half have been a challenge in more ways than one but they are getting by and making things happen.
They said this is in part to the Igorot traits they have grown to see, and which are proving to be of good use especially in times like this.
“The Igorot people are known to be resilient, self-sustaining, village-oriented, and we are used to simple living,” said Team Lakay coach and founder Mark Sangiao in underscoring simple living being the root of the Igorot culture’s survival.
“Remember that during the war, Cordillera was able to sustain themselves because of the strong ties that we have here, coupled with the patience and the resiliency that we have,” he added.
For former ONE Championship world lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, obedience is another quality that the Igorots have that is serving their community well in the time of COVID-19.
“The Igorot people are obedient, we make sure to follow our figures of higher authority, especially our elders. We also practice what we call ‘binadang,’ which means helping those in need, which is very important during times like this,” said Mr. Folayang, who last fought in the ONE Circle in January here, where he lost to Pieter Buist by split decision.
Discipline, too, is another Igorot quality that is getting them through all this, said reigning ONE world strawweight champion Joshua Pacio, a good reason, he added, why the number of COVID-19 cases in their area is not that high compared to other places.
“The Baguio-Benguet area is somehow one of the places with the least number of cases of people that have tested positive for the coronavirus, and I believe that it’s because of how disciplined the Igorot people are. We listen and we take seriously what the government says. We stay at home and we don’t go out, and we make sure that our health and safety is a must,” said Mr. Pacio, who is currently the lone Team Lakay member holding a world title in ONE Championship.
While there is still no vaccine against COVID-19, Team Lakay members said staying healthy and strong is a must to guard against contracting the highly contagious disease.
“We’ve managed to stay strong throughout this period because I believe that the Igorot people are naturally healthy people. The Igorots are physically strong because we are very hard workers, and that helps make our immune system strong as well. Having a strong immune system is very important nowadays so that we don’t get sick with the virus,” said featherweight contender Edward Kelly.
Team Lakay is one of the top teams in ONE Championship, holding at one point four world titles all at the same time.
ONE Championship activities are currently on hold because of COVID-19 but it said it is bent on resuming immediately once conditions permit it. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
