3 weeks ago
12
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
GUIGUINTO, Bulacan – Just a stone’s throw away from the famous Barasoain Church, and literally down the street from the provincial governor’s home, lives a simple, humble old lady who is the Mother Of All Robert Jaworski fans: Nanay Maria Elena Lucasan Fernandez. Down a narrow street which ends - fittingly enough - in a dirt basketball court, you will find this soft-spoken, genial grandmother, who recently celebrated her 51st wedding anniversary with Tatay Ronnie. They live in a tiny shack made from excess material from the construction firm where he works. She’s the typical Barangay Ginebra fan. But she is not typical in that everyone looks at her as their loving nanay or lola.
In an interview for the pilot of the new online sports channel “Basketball Universe” launching on Facebook and YouTube on Wednesday evening, she spoke at length about here devotion to the Big J, which has lasted more than 60 years.
“I was still very young when my older brother and I would watch basketball,” says Nanay Maria. “We met Jaworski when he was still in second year college playing for UE. He always treated us so warmly, I could never forget it. Since then, from MICAA to the PBA, I have always been a Jaworski fan.”
Since her youth even before this writer was born, Nanay Maria has been following Jaworski‘s career faithfully. She still commutes when she can, to Ginebra games, and often has a sponsor who has her driven home with his own vehicle. Her love for this team has never waned. When the Barangay loses, her entire family is despondent. Nobody eats or talks to each other. But when the team wins, they feast, and everybody is early for work the next morning. They are the barometer of life in the Philippines.
“All the players are like my children, even the ones who transferred to other teams,” adds Fernandez, who will be 70 years old in October. “They are all very nice even Coach Tim, and especially Assistant Coach Richard del Rosario, and Boss Alfrancis Chua. They are my second family.”
Nanay Maria is proud that they almost always bought their own tickets to Ginebra games. When her knees started bothering her, she lessened watching live. But when she is around, all the players and fellow fans show her all the love. Fernandez can proudly show off her collection of signed jerseys, caps, and other memorabilia, regardless of what name the franchise has carried.
“It’s very fulfilling that the players recognize me and treat me like family,” she adds. “It makes me happy. The little things really mean a lot to me. That’s why I will always love Ginebra. Never say die. I tell other fans, let’s just love each other, even if players leave and go to other teams. Anyway, they were once part of our team.”
That’s why Nanay Maria is loved by generations. That’s why she is the adoptive mother of the country’s most popular team.
The full interview will be released on Basketball Universe on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook and YouTube.
