BY MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City – Cadiz City in Negros Occidental carved a historic milestone in Philippine sports after two of its athletes secured a rare gold-silver finish in badminton at the 65th Palarong Pambansa held in Ilocos Norte from May 24 to 31.
For the first time in the tournament’s history, two shuttlers from the same city, region, and training academy faced each other in the final match—a remarkable feat that guaranteed both the gold and silver medals for Cadiz City and Western Visayas.
Lovic Caceres Javier, 17, a Grade 12 student of Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School (DRVFGMNHS), clinched the gold medal with a commanding performance against fellow Cadiz native Cris Ivan Dosano, 16, of North Negros College (NNC), who settled for silver.
Both athletes are long-time trainees under the Jaguar Badminton Academy (JBA), and their championship duel was a testament to Cadiz’s growing reputation as a badminton powerhouse. Their achievement underscored the effectiveness of the city’s grassroots sports development programs.
“This was more than just winning gold. It’s about everything that came before it—the long hours, the early mornings, the sacrifices. Standing on that court, representing my region and sharing that final match with my teammate from Cadiz—it was a moment I’ll never forget,” said Javier.
He dedicated his victory to God, his family, coaches, and the people of Cadiz. “Without God’s guidance and strength, I wouldn’t have reached this point. This gold is also for my mother who supported [me] all throughout my practice, win, and loss. This is not just my win — this is Cadiz’s win.”
Javier also expressed gratitude to Cadiz City’s Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. and the DepEd Cadiz Schools Division Office (SDO) for their unwavering support.
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to compete and showcase our talent on the national stage,” he said.
Mayor Escalante lauded the athletes’ performance, calling it proof that Cadiz is becoming a “badminton haven” in Negros Occidental.
“This is something we can truly be proud of. Seeing them compete in the finals was a clear assurance that no matter what happens, still, the gold and silver were already reserved for Cadiz — for Western Visayas,” he said. “It was quite an extraordinary sight to behold—Cadiz versus Cadiz in the finals of secondary boys’ badminton.”
He also announced that both Javier and Dosano will receive trophies and cash incentives from the city government in recognition of their remarkable achievement.
Meanwhile, Javier is set to continue his badminton journey at the collegiate level, having already been accepted as an incoming sports scholar at De La Salle University in Manila.
This year, Cadiz sent 10 qualified badminton players to the Palarong Pambansa, forming a strong contingent that contributed to the approximately 900 delegates representing Region 6 across various sporting events./PN
Caption
Cadiz shuttlers Lovic Javier (second from left) and Cris Ivan Dosano (right) won gold and silver, respectively, for Western Visayas region in the Palarong Pambansa badminton secondary boys in Ilocos Norte. LOVIC JAVIER PHOTO
