BACOLOD City – About a thousand sports enthusiasts are expected to participate in the 1st Bacolod Water Sports Festival that will kick off on Friday afternoon, March 15, at Baywalk Recreational Park here.
Participants will come from various parts of Negros Occidental, including this city, and other provinces like Siargao, Iloilo, Aklan, Bohol, Capiz, and Cebu.
Edu Pillora, creative director and events manager, said they also expect delegates from Malaysia.
The seven-week-long event aimed at promoting a sustainable tourism activity in the city that encourages athleticism, teamwork, sportsmanship, and appreciation of traditional and contemporary Filipino games while reducing the negative environmental impacts caused by such events, he added.
It also expects to convene sports aficionados and water sports fans not only in Negros Occidental but the entire region and the country as well, Pillora also said.
The event will not incur any cost to the city since it will be financed by a private company.
Maria Teresa Manalili, City Tourism head, said the event “could be a potential tourism attraction or activity.”
She added that, if done well, it will eventually have an impact on the city’s tourism and boost its economic, social, environmental, and sports aspects.
“To our tourism stakeholders, I always provide moral support and guidance on securing Department of Tourism (DOT) accreditation, linkage to DOT regional and national (offices), and, as much as possible, help promote the event through networking and help capacitate the frontliners, among others,” Manalili stressed.
Last week, the Watersports Committee convened for a coordination meeting with representatives from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Philippine Coastguard-Maritime Command, the Bacolod City Police Office, and other concerned agencies.
The 800-meter seafront of the Bacolod Baywalk will host various water sports and related activities such as bancarera, beach volleyball, boat tug-of-war, and paddling, among others.
Bancarera teams from Siargao, Banate, Bohol, Boracay, Capiz, Cebu, and Malaysia are now in the city in preparation for the water competitions.
The ceremony will open with pre-show exhibitions for jet skiing, running man challenges, kayaking, and paddling, while the program will start at sunset with local officials, representatives from the different government agencies, organizers, participants, supporters, and guests./PN
