DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – After three year hiatus, the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet opened in a colorful and festive atmosphere on Sunday, May 14 at the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation (VMUF) in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
The R1AA Meet started with the parade of more than 9,000 delegates from the 14 Schools Division Offices (SDOs) in the Ilocos Region, making waves of colors from the main streets of San Carlos City to VMUF.
The delegates consists of elementary and secondary learner-athletes, and together with their coaches, gave loud and lively yells when they entered the VMUF premises.
Also joining the parade are the technical officials, Department of Education (DepEd) division and regional officials, and guests.
During the opening ceremony, San Carlos City Mayor Resuello, who accepted the challenge of hosting this year’s regional sports competition, said “This is a great opportunity for the young ones especially since they have not been able to compete during the height of the pandemic.”
Meanwhile, lawyer Suzette Gannaban-Medina, officer-in-charge director of the Learner Rights and Protection Office, who represented Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo, shared that the R1AA Meet emphasizes the importance of unity, cooperation, and camaraderie.
“It is designed to promote holistic education among student-athletes through hard work and enjoyment of sports,” she said.
For his part, DepEd Ilocos regional director Tolentino Aquino assured, “Despite the conduct of the R1AA this week in San Carlos City, school heads from the different billeting schools have shifted to modular distance learning to assure the continuity of learning of our learners here.”
He also extended his appreciation for the support of all provincial and local chief executives and other political leaders from the 14 SDOs to the R1AA.
Guests present during the opening program include Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino, Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos, San Carlos City Mayor Julier Resuello, Balungao Mayor Riza Peralta, San Carlos City Vice Mayor Joseres Resuello, Alaminos City Vice Mayor Jan Marionne Fontelera, La Union Board Member Henry Balbin, San Fernando City Mayor Hermenegildo Gualberto, Jr., Caba Mayor Donna Crispino, Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon, and other local officials.
Earlier, a solidarity meeting was held at the Don Federico M. Mandapat Sports Dome attended by over 1,000 coaches, tournament managers, technical officials, and division sports officers to reiterate important technical agreements and values of sportsmanship, fair play, and camaraderie.
R1AA, which will end on May 19, is an annual scholastic multi-sport competition in the Ilocos region bringing together learner-athletes from different schools to compete in various sports events.
For this R1AA Meet, there will be no overall champion, unlike the past regional sports tourneys, as the best performing schools division per sports events will be proclaimed as winners.
A total of 19 regular sports events shall be competed in by elementary learners while 25 sports events are for the secondary learners, both from public and private schools, who won during their cluster, district, and division meets. BY: APRIL M. MONTES-BRAVO