CALBAYOG CITY, Samar — The region’s biggest sports event, the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletics Association (EVRAA) Meet 2018 officially opened Sunday afternoon despite heavy rains.
At least 5,397 athletes from 13 school divisions in the region braved the heavy downpour and joined the parade around the city’s major streets that started and ended at the Northwest Samar State University.
Department of Education Assistant Secretary Revsee Escobedo led the opening with some members of the House of Representatives, governors, and mayors from different parts of the region.
Escobedo emphasized that in the implementation of Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education, sports will play a key role in enhancing the Filipino youth.
“While it is true that academic learning is vital for our students to realize their dream, it is also essential to nurture their physical health through sports,” Escobedo said.
“Sports gives experience to our school children that build character and virtues. Armed with these, we create champions who are strong enough to face this competitive world to be successful individuals,” he added.
Escobedo is optimistic that the region will improve its performance in Palarong Pambansa 2018 in Ilocos Sur this coming April.
In this year’s EVRAA, athletes will be competing in 22 field of sports – archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiard, boxing, chess, dance sports, football, futsal, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling and wushu.
Athletes will be competing in 13 playing venues within the city. This year’s sports meet carries the theme, “Sports, Culture, and Environment: Bridging the Gap, Shaping the Future.”
Calbayog is a first-class city in Samar province, with a population of 183,851 in 157 villages. It is the third largest city in terms of land and water areas in the Philippines. (Roel Amazona/PNA)
