By Leilanie Adriano – PNA News
LAOAG CITY— The provincial government of Ilocos Norte has set aside a fund of at least PHP3 million for the annual conduct of a province-wide youth games starting next year.
Through Provincial Ordinance No. 2018-10-058 sponsored by Senior Board Member Matthew Joseph Manotoc, the Ilocos Norte Youth Games, a summer youth sports program of the province, is now institutionalized.
Sourced from the general fund of each year, Manotoc said the ordinance approved on November 26, 2018 “provides an avenue for the youth for self-enhancement.”
During summer, the Ilocos Norte government is hosting a five-day sports competition at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Sports Stadium in this city.
The contingents are composed of young boys and girls representing the province’s 21 towns and two cities.
The activity features 10 popular sporting events in the country, including at least three laro ng lahi or the so-called traditional games such as tug of war, patintero and bawang base.
Organizers from the Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office said the Ilocos Norte Youth Games hope to encourage more students, including out of school youth, to engage in outdoor activities and veer away from vices.
This is also a way of selecting the best athletes in each town or city to represent the province in various local and national competitions in the future.
Launched in 2017, the Ilocos Norte Youth Games will now be conducted annually with an appropriation of PHP3 million each year.
During the term of then Governor Michael Keon, Ilocos Norte athletes used to dominate the Region 1 Athletic Association meet but their winnings declined over the years due to other important priorities other than sports.
But as sports tourism emerges in the province, the Ilocos Norte government is making an effort to reinvigorate local sporting events to train more Ilocano athletes.
