CAPIZ – Representing the province with pride and passion, two senior high school students from Capiz National High School made a mark on the international dancesport scene after achieving impressive placements at the Philippine Summerball International Dance Festival held on June 29, 2025, at the Boracay Newcoast Convention Center in Malay, Aklan.
The talented duo — Ely Karl Andion and Persline M. Bonite — emerged as semi-finalists in the Youth C Latin category and secured an outstanding fourth place finish among 32 couples in the highly competitive Youth A Latin division.
The Philippine Summerball International Dance Festival, hosted for the first time in Western Visayas, gathered elite dancers and renowned trainers from the Philippines and abroad. The event was not only a celebration of dance as an art form but also served as a platform for cultural exchange and professional development in the global dancesport community.
Despite not clinching the top podium spots, Andion and Bonite captivated the audience with their grace, technical precision, and heartfelt performance — earning admiration and applause from judges, peers, and spectators alike.
Roxas City’s Mayor Ronnie Dadivas proudly lauded the pair on social media, calling them the “Bugal sang Roxas” (Pride of Roxas), and emphasized the duo’s significance not only as athletes but also as ambassadors of Capisnon talent.
In 2023, the duo dominated international competitions in Malaysia and Singapore — bagging 18 medals: 14 golds, three silvers, and one bronze during the Johor Hibiscus Open and Merlion Open.
In 2024, they represented Capiz National High School under the Science, Technology & Engineering (STE) and Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) at the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet. They won gold in cha-cha, rumba, and jive; silver in samba; and bronze in paso doble and Grade A Latin American.
Recently, on June 1, they both competed in the RSV Open DanceSport Competition at the Natalio G. Velez Sports and Cultural Center in Silay City, Negros Occidental where they earned bronze medals in both Youth C and A Latin American categories.
Mayor Dadivas commended their journey, saying their success is not merely about collecting trophies but about embodying the resilience, passion, and spirit of Roxas City.
“Each performance reflects years of hard work, discipline, and the unwavering support of a community that believes in them,” he said./PN
