TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Department of Education (DepEd) Tabuk City Division, led by Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Benedicta Gamatero, in partnership with the city government, represented by City Sports Coordinator Gkachay Claver and City Special Concerns and Coordinating Office (CSCCO) head Glen Wansi, conducted a post-assessment of Tabuk City’s performance in the recently concluded 2025 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) regional sports meet.
During the assessment, several key issues affecting the city’s athletes were identified:
limited training time where the athletes had only 10 days to prepare before the meet; lack of sports facilities and insufficient venues for training and concentration, and shortage of trainers to assist coaches in developing the athletes, and limited number of skilled coaches as some coaches lacked in-depth knowledge of the sports they were handling.
To address these challenges and enhance the performance of the city’s athletes in future regional sports competitions, the group proposed the following measures: recruit skilled trainers by identifying and enlisting trainers who can specialize in different sports; early city meet scheduling to allow selected athletes more time for training; conduct coaching development programs, including training and workshops for coaches to improve their expertise; improve sports facilities to address the lack of training venues.
Additionally, the group discussed the need to amend City Ordinance No. 007, Series of 2025, to include coaches and trainers in the monetary incentives given to athletes.
Gamatero also suggested forging partnerships with other local government units that have well-established sports programs, citing her experience in Apayao province where they had partnership with Laoag as a model for collaboration. Laoag City let Apayao utilize their sports facilities.
Representatives from the city government, Glen Wansi and Gkachay Claver, assured the group they would present these recommendations to Mayor Darwin Estrañero. They emphasized that the mayor had personally committed, during his visit to the athletes’ camp at BSU-Secondary Laboratory School, to securing the necessary budget and support for the city’s athletes.
With these strategic initiatives, the city aims to develop a stronger sports program, ensuring better performance in future competitions. By Jesse Maguiya
