BATANG PINOY

BATANG PINOY 

Maasin City first participated in the Batang Pinoy in the year 2001 in Iloilo City.  During that time there was no single medal won by our more than thirty athletes who joined the competitions.  It prompted the passage of the ordinance creating the Maasin City Sports Council sponsored by then Sangguniang Kabataan President Bennites Paloma.  I was the City Vice Mayor that time and I was appointed as Chairman by then Mayor Damian Mercado.

Executive Order No. 44, otherwise known as the Philippine Youth Games or Batang Pinoy, was issued by the President.  It serves as the national sports competition program for children aged 15 years or younger and is aimed to address the need for a grassroots sports program focused on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.

Batang Pinoy, organized by the Philippine Sports Commission, is conducted in partnership with national government agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays.

The Batang Pinoy was then revived in 2011 with the Visayas leg held at Dumaguete City on November 10-13, 2011.  Maasin City sent around 40 delegates to include athletes, coaches and sports officials, headed by Sports Council Chairman Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. The city competed in such events as boxing, taekwondo, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, and swimming.

Maasin City sports delegation bagged 3 golds, 11 silvers and 8 bronze medals after competing in the last day of the Batang Pinoy 2011 Visayas Leg.  It was good for 7th place among 28 participating LGUs. 

Christian Ivan Salud got two gold medals in swimming while Mary Joy Calapre won the lawn tennis single event. The gold and silver medalists would qualify for the national Batang Pinoy 2011 to be held at Naga City. 

For the silver medals, boxing got three, lawn tennis got four for singles, doubles and team event, swimming harvested two, badminton got two while taekwondo got one and they all qualified for the national competition. 

Cebu City dominated the badminton, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, chess and swimming competitions to finish with 52 gold medals, 37 silvers, and 31 bronze medals and became the overall champion.  Bacolod City got 2nd place with 34 gold medals, 18 silvers and 23 bronzes.  Host Dumaguete City collected 27 gold medals, 18 silvers and 27 bronzes to finish 3rd place.

Leyte placed 4th with 11 golds, 16 silvers, and eight bronzes.  Rounding up the top ten were Antique (5th place), Bohol (6th place), Maasin City (7th place), Bayawan City (9th place), and Talisay, Cebu (10th place).

The Batang Pinoy Youth Games National Championship was held in Gov. San Luis Sports Complex in Naga City last December 9-13, 2011.  About 2,000 athletes from the local government units nationwide who qualified in the different regional legs competed in the national youth games.

Mary Joy Calapre dominated the girls’ lawn tennis singles and together with Angelica Mae Baluran, the powerful tandem bagged the gold in the girls’ lawn tennis doubles.  Calapre was also awarded the prestigious “Best Athlete in Lawn Tennis” of the Batang Pinoy National Championship.

The other medalists from Maasin City were Julirey Villahermosa, silver in boxing; Josh Mark Maquilabit, silver in badminton singles, Josh Mark Maquilabit and Nequi Joseph Cepada, bronze in badminton doubles; Alemar Javier and Cesar Bestudio, bronze in boxing; and Joshua Lagunay bronze in taekwondo. 

Maasin City got 2 golds. 3 silvers and 3 bronzes.  I went to Naga City together with some
 city officials to give moral support to our athletes.  We paid a courtesy call on Mayor John Bongat at the city hall. 

Mayor Bongat asked me on how we were able to achieve the exemplary achievement in tennis.  Their bets were beaten by Calapre and Baluran in the finals.  I told him constant training and holding of age group tournaments.  The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) had conducted several tennis clinics in Maasin.  We were also part of the Milo Summer Age-Group Tennis Classics.    


Maasin City became the host of the Batang Pinoy 2013 Visayas Qualifying Leg on September 24-28, 2013. It was originally scheduled at Roxas City, Capiz but was transferred to Maasin upon the recommendation of Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose Cojuangco.  Likewise, the Luzon leg was held in Iba, Zambales on October 15-19, 2013 while the Mindanao leg was conducted in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on August 27-31, 2013.

The PSC Batang Pinoy Secretariat led by Atty. Jay Alano, Executive Director, arrived in the city earlier. Three thousand athletes were expected to join the games and they will be billeted in schools. The opening ceremony was at the Maasin City Gym on September 24, 2013 in the afternoon before a full house crowd.

The events to be played were arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, boxing, chess, dancesports, futsal, gymnastics, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, softball, sepak takraw, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, and wrestling and wushu. Swimming was held at the Leyte Sports Center in Tacloban City because we have no standard swimming pool.

Maasin City was informed of the hosting only last May. But holding of national and regional sporting events is not new to Maasin City. Last February, it hosted the 2013 National Boxing Championships which the ABAP officials considered as the most successful staging of the event. The Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) of the Department of Education was played in Maasin three times in 1998, 2005 and 2012.

The first, second and third placers of the different regional legs will qualify for the Batang Pinoy National Championships which will be held in Bacolod City on November 19-23, 2013. The original host was Zamboanga City but because of the ongoing crisis with the Muslim rebels the PSC and the POC decided to change the venue.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the hosting was signed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City Government of Maasin. The signing ceremony was held at the Philsports Arena media room in Pasig City last July 23, 2013.

The PSC was represented by Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez while I singed it in behalf of the city government. Batang Pinoy Executive Director Atty. Jay Alano and Maasin City Administrator Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. witnessed the signing ceremony.

Some 1,200 athletes joined the opening ceremony of the Batang Pinoy Visayas Qualifying Leg. More than 3,000 delegates including officials graced the parade that started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza and marched around the poblacion main streets.

Several school bands added gaiety to the parade and people lined-up the streets to cheer the participants. The venue of the opening ceremony which is the Maasin City Gym was a full house and were filled to the rafters.

Jose Luis "Jolly" Gomez, PSC Commissioner in charge of the Batang Pinoy, gave the keynote speech. He emphasized the significance of the grassroots program of the PSC which is quite different from that of the Palarong Pambansa.

"The Batang Pinoy is also open to out-of-school-youth. We have national winners in the Batang Pinoy who pursued their studies through the Alternative Learning System of the DepEd," said Gomez.

Thirty five LGUs from barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces sent athletes and officials. "This is a well-participated Batang Pinoy," said Atty. Alano. She and her staff were the workhorse of the games.

On the side of the city, it was the Maasin City Sports Council and the DepEd Maasin City Division who assisted the PSC in all the preparations. The whole Maasin City Council was in full force during the opening ceremony and the Mayor's Welcome Dinner.

The Philippine Olympic Committee is represented by Romeo Magat. During the solidarity meeting of all officials, he explained the role of the POC. "The POC coordinates with the PSC in the Batang Pinoy program. We work hand in hand in searching talents to be trained for international competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and the Olympics," said Magat.

Governor Roger Mercado, who headed the strong Southern Leyte delegation, gave the welcome message in behalf of the province while this writer welcomed the delegates in behalf of the city.

The entrance of the torch and lighting of the urn was the highlight of the ceremony. Yours truly carried the torch and lighted the urn in a very colorful and exciting display of fireworks which wowed the audience and the visitors.

The Ajonay Festival dancers of the Maasin City College gave a very awesome show to the delight of the crowd. The hearing-impaired pupils of the Maasin Special Education Center gave a doxology and the special rendition of the national anthem, provincial and city hymns.

Tobacco and cigarette smoking is strictly prohibited in all playing venues, billeting quarters, and all public places and public utility vehicles in the first-ever smoke-free Batang Pinoy. "Sports and healthy lifestyle must go together," my words during the opening. "Maasin City is a Hall of Fame Red Orchids Awardee of the Bloomberg Foundation, the WHO and the DOH."

According to Atty. Alano:  "It was the best hosting of the Batang Pinoy so far."

The final medal tally:
LGU-Gold-Silver-Bronze-Total Medals
1. Cebu City 87-61-34-182
2. Bohol Province 29-19-14-62
3. Iloilo City 18-4-7-29
4. Bacolod City 15-6-12-33
5. Maasin City 9-23-36-68
6. Iloilo Province 9-21-13-43
7. Mandaue City 8-8-7-23
8. Province of Leyte 7-13-12-32
9. Baybay City 6-9-6-21
10. Province of Iloilo 6-6-3-15
11. Negros Oriental 6-3-6-15
12. Negros Occidental 5-11-9-25
13. Leyte Sports Academy 5-10-10-25
14. Aklan 4-7-24-35
15. Tacloban City 4-5-14-23
16. Province of Southern Leyte 4-1-1-6
17. Talisay City 4-1-0-5
18. Province of Antique. 3-7-22-32
19. Tagbilaran City 3-1-13-17
20. Province of Aklan 3-0-0-3
21. Lezo, Aklan 2-4-4-10
22. Ormoc City 2-1-4-7
23. Brgy. Sambag II, Cebu City 2-1-1-4
24. Cadiz City 1-2-1-4
25. Hilongos, Leyte 1-2-1-4
26. Brgy. Bangkal, Lapulapu City 1-2-0-3
27. San Fernando, Cebu 1-1-4-6
28. Brgy. Labangon, Cebu City 1-1-1-3
29. Municipality of Carmen 1-1-1-3
30. Zarraga, Iloilo 1-0-0-1
31. Municipality of Consolacion 0-3-2-5
32. Borongan City 0-2-0-2
33. Kalibo, Aklan 0-1-4-5
34. Bato, Leyte 0-1-1-2
35. Matalom, Leyte 0-1-0-1
36. Maybocog, Maydolong, E. Samar 0-0-3-3
37. Eastern Samar 0-0-1-1

Maasin City placed second to Cebu City in the total number of medals.

The Batang Pinoy MEDALISTS of MAASIN CITY. The city's biggest medal harvest so far in the Visayas Leg of the National Youth Games. On to the Batang Pinoy National Competition, November 19-23, Bacolod City.

GOLD MEDALISTS
1. Aris Maceda - swimming 50m butterfly 13-15 girls
2. Alexis Costillas - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
3. Futsal Team Event Boys
4. Crisarl Gaviola - soft tennis singles boys
5. Trisa Luz Garces - soft tennis singles girls
6. Jessrey Vincent & Jonas Dayondon - soft tennis doubles boys
7. Trisa Luz Garces & Juliane Magallanes - soft tennis doubles girls
8. Gymnastics Cheerdance
9. Romie Evale - boxing light pinweight division

SILVER MEDALISTS
1. Abegail Aguelo - athletics 2000m walk girls
2. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m backstroke 13-15 girls
3. Ericah Diez - swimming 50m breaststroke 12 & under girls
4. Aris Maceda - swimming 200m butterfly 13-15 girls
5. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m butterfly 12 & under boys
6. Ericah Diez - swimming 200m breaststroke 11-12 girls
7. Ryan Obida - swimming 100m backstroke 12 & under boys
8. Aris Maceda - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m butterfly 12 & under boys
10. Aris Maceda - swimming 100m butterfly 13-15 girls
11. Ericah Diez - swimming 100m breaststroke 12 & under girls
12. James Louric Arnaiz - taekwondo lightweight boys
13. Mark Carlo Ellazar - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
14. Angelito Jejorpe - wrestling bulinggit 32kg. boys
15. Willy Ortega - wrestling schoolboys 47kg. boys
16. Lawn tennis Team Event Girls 15 under
17. Jovane John Aroy - arnis full contact featherweight boys
18. Jessrey Vincent - soft tennis singles boys
19. Hannah Pueblas - soft tennis singles girls
20. Niko Calapre & Jeruz Garde - soft tennis doubles boys
21. Hannah Pueblas & Cristlyn Bacariza - soft tennis doubles girls
22. Louie Jay Forzado - boxing kiddieweight division
23. Joshua Orello - boxing mosquito weight division

BRONZE MEDALISTS
1. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 100m freestyle 12 & under boys
2. Jael Maraon - swimming 50m breaststroke 13-15 boys
3. Ina Maceda - swimming 200m breaststroke 13-15 girls
4. Proper Joy Ambe - swimming 800m freestyle 13-15 girls
5. Rose Fraxides Siega - athletics shot put girls
6. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 400m individual medley 13-15 girls
7. Lilibeth Payao - swimming 200m individual medley 13-15 girls
8. Ryan Obida - swimming 50m backstroke 12 & under boys
9. Rolando Ambe Jr. - swimming 50m freestyle 12 & under boys
10. John Michael Paler - taekwondo welterweight boys
11. Freya Beya Demeterio - taekwondo featherweight girls
12. Romie Wacay - wrestling bulinggit 29kg. boys
13. Jude Bryle Maraon - wrestling bulinggit 44kg. boys
14. Mary Joy Orit - wrestling schoolgirls 44kg. girls
15. Kimberly Jane Ponce - arnis full contact pinweight girls
16. Edito Abendanio - arnis full contact flyweight boys
17. Kim Carl Bestudio - pencak silat class B 27-40kg. boys
18. Sahrani Olama - pencak silat class C 40-43kg. boys
19. Kim Palen - pencak silat class D 43-46kg. boys
20. Zaire Laraga - pencak silat class G 52-55kg. boys
21. Softball Boys Division
22. Vince Angeli Sy - table tennis singles boys
23. Christopher Jacob Go - soft tennis singles boys
24. Niko Calapre - soft tennis singles boys
25. Liezel Barola - soft tennis singles girls
26. Juliane Claire Magallanes - soft tennis singles girls
27. Crisarl Gaviola & John Basmayor - soft tennis doubles boys
28. Christopher Jacob Go & Joseph Suficiencia - soft tennis doubles boys
29. Kimberly Poblete & Liezl Barola - soft tennis doubles girls
30. Christine Lorezo & Stephanie Delmonte - soft tennis doubles girls
31. Volleyball Boys Division
32. Volleyball Girls Division
33. Princess Julienne Paler - lawn tennis singles girls
34. Princess Julianne Paler & Janzen Angeli Albino - lawn tennis doubles girls
35. Anthony Cabil - boxing minimumweight division
36. Jonathan Artegas - boxing light paperweight division

Batang Pinoy National Finals was originally set on November 14 – 25, 2013 in Bacolod City but was postponed to January 28– February 1, 2014 due to super typhoon Yolanda. Then together with four city councilors Hon. Romeo Geneston, Hon. Antonio Cardoza, Hon. Pepito Generan and Hon. Felicisimo Taborada, we led the 50 athletes and officials of Maasin City. The opening ceremony started with a parade of delegations through the major commercial districts of the city followed by a program attended by PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia, Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevilla and Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the public plaza. Mayor Puentevella, a former PSC Commissioner, coincidentally is the Father of Batang Pinoy.

The Maasin City athletes and officials were cheered during the parade and welcomed during the boodle fight that followed the opening ceremonies because we were gracious hosts to Bacolod during their stay in our city during the Visayas leg.  But something untoward happened to our futsal team.

Romie Evale won the bronze in boxing light pinweight division at the Batang Pinoy National Finals.  He lost a controversial decision to his opponent from Cagayan de Oro in what could have been a silver medal and a chance to fight for the gold.

Maasin City won the bronze medal in gymnastics cheerleading with 15 medals awarded  individually.  Paranaque City won the gold and Calamba City won the silver.

Our futsal team were not as lucky. We almost defeated host Bacolod City with a score of 3-4.  But another host Negros Occidental employed rugged physical plays and hurt our players causing a near riot of the game.  The hosts were doing everything not to lose in their favorite game in their own homecourt.  Our boys defaulted the game at score 0-0 and headed for home immediately for safety.

We sent delegation to the Batang Pinoy 2014 Visayas Qualifying Leg at Aklan.  The medalists from Maasin City:

Gold:
Bernard Gaviola - javelin throw boys

Silver:
Jhayve Donaire - boxing antweight
Roy Jones Crisostomo - boxing powderweight
Joshua Orello - boxing lightflyweight
Christian Salud - 50m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 200m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 100m breaststroke boys 13-15 yrs old
Shanrud Noval - 800m freestyle girls 12 yrs & under

Bronze:
Mary Ann Cabero - shot put girls
Louie Jay Forzado - boxing vacuumweight
Lilibeth Payao - 200m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Ares Maceda - 50m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Ricardo Aragon - 400m individual medley boys 12 yrs & under
Lilibeth Payao - 400m individual medley girls 13-15 yrs old
Christian Salud - 50m backstroke boys 13-15 yrs old      
Ares Maceda - 50m backstroke girls 13-15 yrs old
Prosper Joy Ambe - 800m freestyle girls 13-15 yrs old
Petrix Neil Dalo - taekwondo finweight junior boys

Our cheerdancers/gymnasts won the bronze medal in the national competition which was held during the Luzon Qualifying Leg at Naga City.  We won the bronze medal in the Cheerleading category and another bronze medal in the Group Male Category. There were seven participating teams. 

We were not able to send the winners to the Batang Pinoy National Finals 2014 hosted again by Bacolod City because of the threat of Typhoon Ruby in December.