DUAMGUETE CITY— Coming up with a successful hosting on one hand and improving—or at least retaining—its ranking on the other.
Region 7 tries to achieve those goals as it serves host to the annual multi-sporting event 2013 Palarong Pambansa, which came off the wraps yesterday at the Mariano Perdices Memorial Stadium here.
“We will do our best to defend our spot or even go up in the rankings. We are also doing our best to come up with a very succesfull hosting,” said Dr. Carmelita Dulangon, regional director of the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7).
For the past years, Region 7 has been a consistent fourth-place finisher and being the host region is not a perfect time to underachieve.
“The 19 school division superintendents, the teachers and the non-teaching personnel worked so hard so that the hosting will be successful,” said Dulangon.
Region 7 athletes, who are billeted at the Negros Oriental State University, arrived in the here on April 8, giving themselves the chance to acclimatize with the venues, said Vivian Ginete.
The region, composed of 493 athletes and coaches from Cebu Province, Cebu City, Bohol, Surigao, Dumaguete and Lapu-Lapu City, will compete in all of the 17 sporting events.
Region 7 is expected to have its hands full in keeping the fourth spot, especially that last year’s fifth place finisher Region 10 started its training early.
Region 10 got its preparations going as early as November while Region 7 couldn’t start right away due to financial constraint, said Vivian Ginete, executive secretary of the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVRAA) sports council.
Last year, Region 7 amassed 305.17 points followed by Region 10 with 107
The National Capital Regional (NCR) is the perennial champion in the competition. The powerhouse team captured the overall crown last year by tallying 733 points followed by Region 6 with 452.
Region 7 actually came close to finishing third last year as third placer Region 4-A wound up with 335.50 points. /EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CALVIN D. CORDOVA