By Maria Congee S. Gomez
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—In his book, “Manila Rows: The story of the Manila Boat Club,” author Allan May wrote that the birth of rowing as a sport in the Philippines came about in 1888.
Most of those involved in the sport, however, were foreigners, particularly early English male settlers who ran commercial houses in the city.
Between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, these gentlemen formed the Manila Club, the forerunner of the Manila Boat Club.
The first ever reference to the club appeared in the Manila Times on Feb. 1, 1906 where an annual regatta was reported at the Manila Bay. When the club moved to Calle San Marcelino in 1907, its boat section transferred to Isla de Provisor.
In the 1920s, it was moved again to Sta. Ana, a place foreigners described as “densely populated; with foul, thick, black and oily water; and filled with dreadful lilies and other dead things.”
The club, located at the boundary of Manila (Havana Street) and Makati (P. Domingo Street), was popular among foreign rowers. Its exterior was covered with a green landscape shaded by tall acacia and mango trees. Under colorful parasols, the women keenly watched the men row their boats on Pasig River.
Benjie Ramos, the club’s current director, could only sigh at the recollection of the old days at the country’s premier boating club .
“The club was dominated by British expatriates,” said Ramos. “There were few American, Swiss, Scottish and German nationals. They worked as consultants in offshore operations or in foreign embassies, but the majority were professional rowers or varsity players who wanted to continue their love for rowing. And the Manila Boat Club offered the best place as far as rowing was concerned.”
Like other clubs that depended on membership, the MBC was not an exception. There was a drastic decline, however, in the martial law years when several foreign firms in the country shut down or moved to Thailand, Hong Kong or Singapore. Ramos described the period as an exodus of expatriates concerned about the looming political crisis.
In 1979, the government took a portion of the club’s 2,000-sq m lot for the construction of a pumping station. By then, the population in the vicinity had grown and rows of settlement houses that sprouted began to obstruct the club’s right of way.
May’s brilliant idea of creating British-styled squash courts compensated for the slack in rowing activities. The game easily gained a strong following among non-rowing enthusiasts, along with darts. Soon, Filipinos took to squash with enthusiasm because “it was played out of the sun and physical size made little difference.”
The likes of Jun Ezpeleta, Bambi Torres, Ding Dong Austria, Robert Veloso, Tanny Gonzales, Fausto Preysler, Buds and Pete Cervantes, Alvin Orejana, among others, later competed in local and international cups here and abroad. The national team culled their lineups from the MBC, and even the ladies became part of both the rowing and squash teams.
Along with efforts to rev up membership, MBC president Ernesto Rodolfo Villareal Jr., Ramos and television network honcho Monchet Olives, the club boat captain, are determined to revive the glory days. On July 28, the club held its yearly regatta dubbed the “Laguna Loop.”
“We were saddled with some unsettled liabilities at the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the City of Makati prior to my term. We could not spend money for improvements because of certain cash outflow problems. It took some time before we could fix the club. But we are proud of our newly constructed landing stage. What we still lack are nice bathrooms and serious promotions efforts to achieve what we have envisioned,” Villareal said.
Right now, the club has 40 members, 10 of whom are classified as “absentees.” The lifetime membership fee is P5,000 plus annual dues of P1,000. Absentee members pay an annual fee of P1,000.
The club’s boat house boasts of 40 assorted boats that only longtime keeper Benny Rodoy can identify: Single skull, light four with cox, training quadruple skull, quadruple skull racing boat, heavy four for beginners, and racing double skulls. A member can use some of the boats for a fee.
The boat fee per outing is P80 per head until the Guadalupe bridge and back; the accompanying assistant is paid P65. Squash courts, on the other hand, can be rented at P75 for 30 minutes while the trainer’s fee is between P50 and P75. Discounted rates apply to student rowing teams.
“The MBC is the only existing rowing club in the country with facilities. There was a time when university clubs simultaneously held their practice sessions that we had to limit their outings,” said Ramos.
“The problem is when the rowers leave their schools after graduation, the activity also stops. In the case of the Ateneo University, school officials provide them with financial support to continue rowing,” he added.
The MBC team also participates in international rowing competitions, the latest of which was held in Hong Kong. Olives makes sure the club is well represented in different cups here and abroad. But the big difference is that unlike before, there are fewer rowers to chose from.
Ramos disputes the notion that rowing is sports only for the elite.
“This is a wrong impression,” he said. “As a matter of fact, except for the Ateneo group, whom we consider loyal patrons, rowers come here with no boats of their own. The fees are minimal and there are different types of boats to choose from. Rowing is an activity open to everyone.”
