Student-athletes from Iloilo wrapped up the 2023 Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Games Visayas Leg with blowout wins in Iloilo City.
Leading the squad, Ilonggo Nathaniel Balajadia snatched a gold medal in arnis at SM City Iloilo, following his impressive skills. The pride of West Visayas State University-Main outplayed Lenar John Avance and Renato Aguado Jr. in the men’s non-traditional single weapon event Air Force bracket.
At 20, Balajadia said the ROTC Games served as his avenue to showcase his arnis prowess, especially that he’s starring the sports during his Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa high school years.
With his victory, Balajadia eyes to qualify for the arnis event in the Southeast Asian Games in two years.
Moreover, Marcel John Judicpa of PHINMA- University of Iloilo clinched the gold medal in the Army Bracket after hammering Capiz State University’s John Mike Frial and Cebu Technological University’s Meg Ryan Gutierrez.
RJ Christales Mahinay of University of Visayas, on the other hand, won the gold medal in the Navy division of the same event as he defeated Christon Inting of Bohol Islands State University–Main.
Bannering Iloilo Iloilo State University of Fisheries and Science and Technology Roperly Mae Bangero got the gold in the Army category of Women’s Non-Traditional Single Weapon after outlasting Lexa Villasan of Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology.
Jazell Joan Agacia of West Visayas State University–Janiuay also bagged a gold medal in the Philippine Air Force category of the same arnis event. Mae Ann Cerna of 527th DAST ended with silver.
Kyla Omega Dela Torre of Capiz State University also won a gold medal in the same arnis event in the Philippine Navy category, with Aya Faith Gonzaga of University of Antique as runner up.
In other sports, Capiznon Piepet Prebillo notched two gold medals after ruling the women’s 100-meter dash and women’s 200-meter run at the Iloilo Sports Complex. Representing Filamer Christian School of Capiz, the incoming second year criminology student said she’s very happy to win both the 100-m dash and 200-m run and become the fastest woman in this competition.
Romeo Constancio of the University of Negros Occidental-Recolectos also defeated Peter Molina of Western Visayas State University in the crucial stretch to rule the men’s 100-m dash in 11.5 seconds.
It was the third gold medal of the Pulupandan, Negros Occidental-native Constancio in the tournament after also ruling the 4×400 meter and 4×100 meter relay with teammates David Paul Balagat, John Lloyd Moreno and Christian Sericon.
The 20-year-old Constancio actually had a chance to take home his fourth gold medal in the tournament but he settled for a runner up finish to Molina in the men’s 200-meter run.
Jerson Gison of Western Visayas State University, meanwhile, clinched two gold medals in the Philippine Army’s competition of the men’s 100-meter dash in 11.7 seconds and 4×100 meter relay. He also has a silver in 200-meter run.
Maria Eden Cornelia of Western Visayas State University also captured two gold medals in the Philippine Air Force category when she topped the women’s 200-meter and 100-meter dash.
The gold and silver medalists in all the events in the ROTC Games Visayas leg will qualify in the National Finals, which will be tentatively held this October in Metro Manila.
Hosted by Iloilo City, the event aims to produce “potential world-class athletes coming from the grassroots programs.
To recall, PRG was conceptualized by Senator Francis Tolentino, the DND, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The program allows ROTC cadets who may not qualify for other sports activities to showcase their talents, especially now that only a few have enrolled in the program.IMT Sports
