MANILA, Philippines – Crab mentality has been the reason behind the issues hounding the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Alan Peter Cayetano stressed.

The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) chairman called for unity amid rumors that the country might lose its hosting rights of the regional showpiece. 

With merely 8 months left before the SEA Games kicks off on November 30, there are reports stating unrest among sports officials due the Philippines’ limited budget and slow pace preparing for the biennial meet. 

“Crab mentality. Kapag everyone wants to do something great and then kapag naayos na, hihilahin ‘yung iba pababa,” Cayetano said at a press conference on Saturday, March 23. 

(Crab mentality is the reason behind it all. Everyone wants to do something great and when things are done, people start to drag each other down.) 

“[E]veryone’s so passionate sa sports but you have to come to a consensus and a decision one point at a time. Hindi naman sampu kayong magde-decide, ‘yung siyam, umoo na tapos susundin mo ‘yung isa.”

(Everyone’s so passionate about sports but you have to come to a consensus and a decision one point at a time. It’s not like out of the 10 who will make a decision, you will follow only one when there are already 9 who agreed.)

Cayetano also urged sports leaders to air their grievances in the proper venue. (READ: PH hosting of 2019 SEA Games to push through)

“May mga gumagawa lang ng issue. Ang problema, nadamay na ‘yung mismong Games. But these are all leadership issues among sports leaders,” he said. 

(There are people who create issues. The problem is even the Games are affected. But these are all leadership issues among sports leaders.) 

“Kaya pakiusap ko sa mga sports leaders, let’s keep our issues against each other in the background. Tayo na lang mag-resolve noon. Pero ‘wag natin idamay ‘yung mga sports tsaka ‘yung Games.” 

(I plead to all sports leaders to keep our issues against each other in the background. Let’s resolve all problems. The sports and the games shouldn’t be affected.) 

As the clock ticks down, Cayetano and PHISGOC seek to have the approved P5 billion budget for the SEA Games raised to P6 to P6.5 billion to accommodate all expenses. – Rappler.com