BANGUED, Abra – Acting Gov. Russell Bragas recognized the exemplary performance of athletes, coaches and sports officials fielded by the province following the fifth-place finish achieved in the recently concluded 2025 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) regional sports meet held in La Trinidad, Benguet and Baguio City last month.
Bragas said that one of the major reforms introduced by the present provincial leadership was to maximize the use of the special education fund (SEF) for the two-week training of all the athletes in preparation for the regional sports meet that paved the way for their initial success by climbing up the standings from their previous bottom finish in the previous conduct of the CARAA.
He narrated that what the provincial government did was to organize a training camp complete with veteran trainers from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), former regional and national athletes from the province, and other volunteers that monitored the development of the athletes until their participation in the regional sports meet.
Further, the province also strictly monitored the meal plan of the athletes aside from hiring the services of a caterer that provided them with nutritional meals to improve the performance of the athletes.
Bragas’s wife who is also a doctor by profession, helped in closely monitoring the prepared meal plan of the athletes and the food provided by the caterer to ensure their strict adherence to it that was evident based on their recent achievement.
From the 16 gold medals garnered by Abra athletes in last year’s CARAA meet in Luna, Apayao, the province’s delegation snared 25 golds in this year’s regional sports competition.
The acting governor claimed that the provincial government also awarded the medalists with cash incentives amounting to PhP20,000 each for those who brought home the gold, PhP15,000 each for those who snared silver and PhP10,000 each for those who got the bronze.
Bragas expressed his gratitude to Rep. Ching Bernos and League of Municipalities of the Philippines national president and La Paz, Abra Mayr Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos for their all-out support to the province’s delegation to the CARAA as their presence serve as an added inspiration and motivation to the athletes to excel in their respective fields of participation.
He pointed out that had there been more time for the athletes, coaches and sports officials to prepare for the CARAA meet, the Aba delegation could have landed in a better position but their fifth place finish this year is already a significant accomplishment on their part, having seen the improvement in the performance of other delegations whose athletes also showed promising performances in the different events that had been the subject of competition.
He congratulated the Abra delegation to the CARAA regional sports meet for their exemplary performance that paved the way for the province to improve its standing and make Abra a potential contender for one of the top spots in the competition in the future considering its recent achievement. By Dexter A. See
