It’s all set for the Palarong Pambansa despite the inclement weather brought about by monsoon rains triggered by typhoon Egay which ravaged Luzon middle of this week.
And everything is sunny for Cordillera athletes now in Marikina City for it has been absent the past three years due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Former Bombo Radyo reporter and now lawyer Jerzon Sebastian is all but eager to see younger daughter Ghierzzen Lhou in the Palarong Pambansa anew as the Marikina bound younger sister of WNM Mhage left for the Metro Manila city.
In his post, Sebastian wrote: “They shall be taking the Tuguegarao-Isabela-Nueva Ecija-route as one part of Calog, Abulug, Cagayan highway is not yet passable for light vehicles as of this afternoon due to high water level brought by Super Typhoon Egay.”
He then complimented the Apayao chess contingents for securing slots for chess in the Palarong Pambansa.”
He added: “Hope and pray that you shall bring home the golds not only for Apayao but for (the) Region Cordillera.”
Apayao’s gymnastics team will banner the Cordillera Administrative Region contingents in Marikina as they host the event on July 29 to August 5.
Inspired by world-renowned Gymnastics Olympiad Carlos Edriel Poquiz Yulo, 23, who they posed with at the Philippines’ City of Dreams (City of Manila), the team hopes to be their best thanks also to the solid support of their family and fellow Cordillerans.
The Apayao gymnasts are focused on bagging gold medals in the Palarong Pambansa in all four gymnastics events: Aerobic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, and Men’s Artistic Gymmastics.
The archery team, which has been one of the most productive squads for Baguio and the Cordilleras, meanwhile, are also Marikina bound.
“Otw (on the way) na po now,” said coach John Hongitan. Hongitan is brining seven archers to the event which has been absent for three years due to Covid-19.
The team is composed of the most bemedalled athletes in the Batang Pinoy in December last year. The most bemedalled athletes include Chass Mhaiven Colas, Jemuell James Espiritu, Jethro Caleb Fernandez from Baguio and Andre Raf El Bragas from Abra.
The female archers are all from Baguio composed of Jarraine Lictao, Phoebe Melz Caluza and Michiko Brianna Gonzales.
He also said that all are tyros “All are first timers in the Palarong Pambansa,” said the coach.
He added that the girls are from different schools with Lictao from Baguio City National Science High School, Caluza is from Dominican National High School and Gonzales is from University of Baguio Science High School. Archers Colas and Espiritu are from BCNHS, added Hongitan.
In the team events which had its prequalification In Laoag, Ilocos Norte the other week include basketball boys in 5 x 5 and 3 x 3 events.
There are also participants in softball secondary, as well as futsal and football in the same school level. Pigeon Lobien
