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[av_heading heading=’‘MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN’ | * Palarong Pambansa 2017 opens today * DepEd plays down ‘minor’ woes’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY STEPHEN LOUIE CHECA
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Sunday, April 23, 2017
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SAN JOSE, Antique – The weeklong 60th Palarong Pambansa opens this afternoon with Secretary Leonor Briones of the Department of Education (DepEd) dismissing the problems facing the delegates as “minor.”
President Rodrigo Duterte, the guest of honor, will be speaking before delegates at the Binirayan Sports Complex.
“Minor problems are natural,” Briones told journalists in a news conference yesterday. “In fact, life is not interesting without challenges.”
Several problems have been bugging delegates, including the delayed arrival of foams and beddings in their billeting quarters and some falling victims to unscrupulous tricycle drivers charging them with exorbitant fares.
“Sports is fun and enjoyable not only for them (student athletes) but also for their parents,” Briones told the press. “Let’s have fun in the next several days, and may the best team win.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao assured delegates and guests that this year’s edition of the Palaro will be peaceful and orderly. She campaigned hard for her province’s hosting of this high-profile event to give Antique national exposure.
Cadiaos’ task to the local police is to make the Palaro crime-free similar to when Antique hosted the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet just this February.
Five senators — Loren Legarda, Franklin Drilon, Benigno Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, and Juan Edgardo Angara — are also expected to grace the opening ceremonies.
Secretary Briones encouraged the student athletes to do their best.
Always bear in mind that the Palaro is a sporting event, which means there should be “sportsmanship, honesty…doing our best,” she said.
Briones discouraged cheating. “Cheating is not the essence of sports,” she stressed.
The Education secretary already thanked the teachers and the organizing staff, and the provincial and local governments for helping make Palarong Pambansa in Antique possible.
“Everybody is ready for the biggest and well-budgeted sports event in the country,” she said.
BEDDINGS ARRIVE
All delegates to the Palarong Pambansa may now comfortably sleep in their billeting quarters. The lacking beddings have arrived.
Several coaches and parents earlier lamented on social media and the press the lack of proper beddings for the student athletes.
They demanded that Antique, which is hosting the national sporting event for the first time, deliver the beddings they promised to provide, as provided for under an agreement with the DepEd.
As host province, Antique shall “provide conveniently located billeting areas/quarters for all regional athletic delegations and technical officials with…decent beddings to all billeting areas/quarters, and complete beds or sleeping mats and beddings for all athletes and technical officials…,” read part of the memorandum of agreement.
Some said they were provided cartons instead of sleeping mats, while others complained of body aches for having to sleep on a hard surface.
According to Larry Paderanga, bocce and athletics coach of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARRM), their student athletes were already using the foams and beddings that arrived on Friday.
“We understand the delay of our beddings for whatever reason,” Paderanga said. “We just found means to sleep comfortably.”
He considered themselves “lucky.” “We have very good billeting quarters. Those accommodating us are very hospitable. We have no [other] problems.”
The ARMM delegation is billeted at the Delegate Angel Salazar Jr. Memorial School.
The school is at the heart of this capital town — close to the cathedral, the EBJ Freedom Park, the San Jose Business Park, malls, and food chains.
TIGHT SECURITY
Tight security will be in place during the opening ceremonies.
“Magpapatupad tayo ng mga karagdagang adjustment sa security protocol since we are expecting some high-profile guests,” said Atty. Arthur Lastimoso, chairman of the Palarong Pambansa local organizing committee.
No one will be allowed to bring backpacks and bottled water in the sports complex during the two-hour-long ceremony.
“We just want to make sure na walang untoward incidents sa opening,” Lastimoso stressed. “Also, we will declare as ‘no parking zone’ iyong palibot ng Binirayan (Sports Complex) dahil most of our games will be held there.”
The opening ceremony will start at 2 p.m.
“We have decided to shorten the ceremony since the President will be our special guest,” said Lastimoso. “We know that the President has a busy schedule and we are glad at naisingit niya ang Palaro.”
He added: “Ang request naman ni President Duterte is, kung magbibigay siya ng speech, lahat ng athletes ay nasa loob ng complex.”
Palarong Pambansa, an annual multi-sporting event organized and governed by the DepEd and involves student-athletes from 18 regions, aims to promote physical education and sports as integral parts of basic education.
It intends to inculcate in the youths’ minds discipline, teamwork, excellence, fair play, solidarity, sportsmanship, and other inherent values, and eventually make them responsible and globally competitive citizens.
Moreover, it seeks to promote and achieve peace through sports, and widen the bases for talent identification, selection, recruitment, training, and exposure for elementary and secondary students to serve as roster of national sports associations for international competitions. (With a report from Adrian Stewart Co/PN)
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