LETRAN coach Bonnie Tan never forgets his roots.
As much as his recent accomplishment of spearheading Letran to back-to-back NCAA crowns is celebrated in Muralla, he also knows that it has also served as a source of pride for the Fil-Chinese community.
Bonnie Tan on resurgence of Fil-Chinese athletics
"We know that Letran's championship is also a victory for the Fil-Chinese community, especially for those who have consistently believed in me wherever I went," said the 49-year-old mentor.
Sherwin Tiu, president of the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA), was one of the first to congratulate the Knights mentor for his exploits, saying, "Coach Bonnie's accomplishment really gives us tremendous pride, especially for us who champion athletics in the Chinese-Filipino community."
What makes Tan's achievement all the more laudable was how the has continuously given back to the community, being one of the founders of PCYAA back in its formation in 2013.
Tan represented his alma mater Grace Christian College in coming together with Tiu of Saint Jude Catholic School, Hector Chua of Philippine Cultural College, and Milton Yu and Stephen Lee Ong of Uno High School in forming the organization which is now on its eighth season.
Since then, other schools in Jubilee Christian Academy, Pace Academy, St. Stephen's High School, and MGC New Life Christian Academy have joined the fray with more expected to be invited once the league opens its eighth season hopefully later in 2022.
More than the praises, Tan is hopeful that his achievement, the same with that of University of the Philippines counterpart Goldwin Monteverde in the UAAP, should be a spark for the revitalization of the athletic programs from the Fil-Chinese schools.
"We're here serving as an inspiration for the schools and especially for the youth, that as long as they put in the work, great things can be achieved," he said.
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