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PAMAS TAMARAWS |
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The initial sports program of the organization centered on the PAMAS basketball team called the Tamaraws. They exemplify physical fitness,
sportsmanship, camaraderie and teamwork. They were the first effort of the organization to represent Boston to a major Filipino gathering in the
form of an annual basketball competition held every Labor Day weekend. This annual basketball tournament involves 12 cities, seven from the United
States and five from Canada. Each year, the event is hosted by one of the 12 cities as designated by rotation. PAMAS has hosted the PIBNA Inter-City
Games twice, first in 1984 and again in 1992. The out-of-towners visiting host cities keep swelling each year, to over 3,000 recently. Yet they always find
themselves enjoying good food, games, brotherhood, and most of all, exchanging news and pleasantries with old friends. On several occasions, the event
has provided the opportunity to meet long lost relatives or friends one has not seen for years.
PAMAS motivates children to get interested in sports to offset the negative influences of alcohol and drugs in the streets. In 1989, the annual PAMAS Bowling League was organized in the spirit of "A family that plays together, stays together." PAMAS' other sport efforts have been softball and volleyball games, a Golf Tournament, and the Inter-Neighborhood Basketball Tournament which is participated in by Filipino teams from the cities of Boston, Quincy, Brockton, Randolph, Billerica, and from Newport, Rhode Island. None of these projects have received any government funding of any kind and exist solely from donations and meager revenues generated by the PAMAS organization itself. |
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"PAMAS beats Orlando" By Frank Celoza
It was September 1, 2000. Labor Day weekend in Montreal was a day that will live in infamy for a lot of players from Florida. This was the day the team from BOSTON, undermanned and a huge underdog, beat the superior team from Orlando. This was a classic case of David and Goliath. Boston didn't win because our kids could jump higher, run faster nor shoot the ball with more accuracy but, rather because of the determination of our young kids headed by JONAS ALVE of Randolph and CHRIS LLAGA, son of Nitty JACILDO of Quincy. This tandem of quick guards attacked the opponent with such gusto that the Orlando team was under constant pressure from the start and were forced to back-pedal trying to neutralize the speed and sharp shooting ability of the New England duo. For more on this story click on... PIBNA |