Hope for Cebu City Skate park revived: Didal wins bronze in US

CEBU, Philippines — Skateboarders in Cebu City have renewed hope for their own skate park after Cebuana pro skater Margielyn Didal won bronze at the Street League Skateboarding (SLS), one of the world’s major skateboarding events, held in Santa Monica, California, yesterday.

Didal first competed in SLS in 2018, where she placed in the top 8. Though she didn’t reach the podium then, it was already a significant honor for the Philippines to make it to the finals on the world stage.

That milestone sparked local interest in building a skate park in Cebu City.

Then Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña responded by offering to help, initially planning to build the skate park at the South Road Properties (SRP).

However, the proposed site was later moved to a vacant spot between Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencia.

A few months after her SLS debut, Didal captivated the nation with her historic gold medal win at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Didal, daughter of a street food vendor, has previously shared how she and her friends were often chased by police while skating on city streets due to the lack of a proper skate park. This further fueled a clamor for such facilities.

In Cebu City, instead of a cash incentive from the local government, construction of a skate park was jumpstarted by a P5 million donation from Osmeña’s sister, Minnie.

However, Osmeña’s defeat in the 2019 elections to the late Mayor Edgardo Labella brought the construction to a halt.

Without a home skate park, Didal continued training abroad. This experience ultimately helped her become the country’s first Olympic skateboarder during the Tokyo Games. She also clinched a historic gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games held in the Philippines.

Early in Mayor Mike Rama’s term in 2022, the skate park project was revisited.

Vincent “Vinny” Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., expressed interest in helping realize Cebuano skateboarders’ long-awaited dream of a standard skate park.

In 2023, Rama met with Vinny in Manila to discuss plans for the skate park, which included a multi-purpose training and instructional facility.

Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros, then the top city councilor, and other City Council members pushed for the allocation of a lot at the SRP for the facility.

However, with Rama’s preventive suspension and eventual dismissal by the Office of the Ombudsman, as well as his apparent falling out with President Marcos Jr., the project has remained in limbo.

Talisay City and Danao City have since built skate parks, with Mayor Samsam Gullas of Talisay even opening training opportunities for Didal and fellow Cebuano national team members including Motic Panugalinog, Renz Gelic, Ashley Boy Maranga, and Oyo Boy Steward Oyao, along with the broader local skateboarding community.

With Osmeña’s recent victory as Cebu City vice mayor, locals have again pinned their hopes on his previous promise, now alongside Mayor-elect Nestor Archival.

The Freeman tried to reach both Archival and Osmeña for comment but was unable to get a response as of press time.

City Councilor-elect Mikel Rama, who is also an avid skateboarder, is expected to advocate for the project as he joins the City Council.

“Yes, I will support and advocate for our own skate park. Ang mga pinakamaayo mu-skateboard sa Pilipinas mga taga-Cebu City. Akong favorite skater si Motic Panugalinog, taga Inayawan. Hopefully, maka-skate park na jud ta dinhi sa Cebu City. Dili ra skate park ra unta but more open spaces sab na para sa lain-lain communities like sa senior citizens and families,” said Councilor-elect Mikel Rama.

Peter Lindgreen, a former official of the country’s national sports association in skateboarding, along with veteran skateboarders in Cebu, believes that more talents like Didal and other national team members can emerge—if given the proper venue to hone their skills. (CEBU NEWS)