While sports can be beneficial to an individual’s physical and mental well-being, this innovative and interactive learning session delved into the importance of sports in attaining a lasting impact on community development and cooperation.
With the theme Sports and Development: The Role of Sports in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), the Institute of ASEAN-European Studies (IAES) of the Holy Cross of Davao College has successfully mounted its 6th edition of the Ambassador’s Lecture Series last April 23, 2024, highlighting the significant role of sports in promoting a myriad of issues such as health, education, social inclusion, gender equality, conflict resolution, and environmental sustainability.
More than a hundred students from the Bachelor of Physical Education program and coaches from the Center for Wellness and Sports Excellence attended the lecture series at HCDC’s Cross Theater, where Mr. Hilton Soberano, a sports for development practitioner, served as the keynote speaker.
“It is important to increase awareness of the specific issues we face and how we can approach them. Events like these serve as platforms for people like me to share our advocacies and explore collaborative approaches, especially when esteemed institutions and governments are involved,” he emphasized in an interview with the Cross Media.
Mr. Soberano, who manages the Davao Durians Rugby Football Club, emphasized the importance of lecture series as a platform for individuals to share their advocacies and collaborate with others.
On the same occasion, National Youth Commission representative Russell Bonn Noval provided a brief information session on the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP). The program provides an opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Southeast Asian delegates and Japanese youth, with Mr. Soberano being an alumnus.
Students from HUSOCOM and CHATME, as well as representatives from the Honorary Consulate of Austria in Davao City, the Philippine Sports Commission, Samal Island City College, Assumption College, Student Mobility (STuMo), and Friends Network were also present.
IAES’s lecture series aimed to foster understanding and dialogue among participants about how sports can contribute to the attainment of the SDGs, addressing sustainable development challenges, and promoting global cooperation and peace-building initiatives.
