Baguio tops Batang Pinoy games/ 4 b’gays still drug-affected

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo 

BAGUIO CITY -- Baguio City reasserted its supremacy in the Batang Pinoy National Championships held in Vigan City last Dec. 17-22, 2022 turning in a 31-30-39 gold-silver-bronze medal output ahead of closest rivals Pasig City (22-12- 14) and Quezon City (21-10-15).
    The team’s artillery was powered by archery which delivered 11 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze medals and taekwondo which submitted a 8-4-6 card and Muay Thai with 5-3-4.
Nine-year-old Jathniel Caleb Fernandez and Chass Mhaiven Colas led the archery assault with six and three-gold exploits respectively. 
    Fernandez turned out to be winningest athlete in the meet.
    Teammates Michiko Brianna Gonzales and Jalorrae Cxethreen Lictao boosted the campaign with one gold each.
    Taekwondo chalked up 8-4-6 medals through the heroics of Leanne Rain Siddayao, Shaun Adam Yagyagen, Caleb Angelo Calde, Joniya Yua Ysabelle Obiacoro, Valerie Criselle Oglayon and the teams of Obiacoro and Chezka Luzadas; Caleb Calde and Acey Kiana Oglayon; and Joshua Aaron Erece, Cye Guiller Evangelista and Marcus Jared Maquiraya.
    The five-gold feat of Muay Thai was courtesy of Edel Ali Ngina who copped two; Laike JEvon Casuga, Lyrie Anie Ngina and Aiden Eclipse. 
    Wushu, arnis and swimming teams contributed one gold apiece in the campaign via the heroics of Khilliien Vonn Yocogan, Jandrie Lance Cabajel and Jeanne Dominic Bongotan, respectively.
    Aside from the championship trophy, the city received a P3 million cash prize and two  "Pursigido" Awards from Milo for the feat.
     “Massive congratulations to our athletes, coaches, parents and all those instrumental in retaining our Batang Pinoy crown.  You nailed it,” Mayor Benjamin Magalong cheered.
    City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena and Youth Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales joined the 278-strong city delegation with Sports Division Head Gaudencio Gonzales during the opening ceremonies last Dec. 17, 2022 to provide moral support to the team.
    Gonzales thanked the Philippine Sports Commission, national sports association, the City Government, Sports Office, Department of Education, local sports associations and clubs, coaches, trainers, supporters, parents and especially the athletes for the successful conduct of the event.
     Baguio had been a consistent winner in the national sports event for athletes 15 years and below except for one outing where it placed second.  The city was the champion in the last two stagings before the pandemic in 2018 where the city hosted the event and in 2019 which was held in Palawan.
    A total of 17 events were played either in-person or virtually.  Events conducted virtually were arnis, dancesport, judo, karate, Muay Thai, pencak silat, taekwondo and wushu while in-person events were archery, athletics, badminton, chess, cycling, table tennis, swimming, weightlifting and game sports.
    The annual event is jointly undertaken by the local government units, the Department of Education and the Philippine Sports Commission.
   ***
Four barangays in the city remained to be drug-affected even as seven others improved their status from drug-affected to drug-cleared.
    Bakakeng Central, Irisan, Loakan and Lourdes Extension barangays continue to be drug-affected as per the report of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Officer Edwin Changropen during the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting recently.
    The seven recently declared as drug-cleared are Dominican-Mirador, Fairview Village, Gibraltar, Kayang Extension, Lower Magsaysay, Pinget, Santo Nino-Slaughterhouse.
    This raised the total of drug-cleared barangays to 57.
    Three barangays retained their drug-free status, according to the report.

All in all, the city has 57 drug-cleared, 3 drug-free and 4 drug-affected barangays as of Nov. 24, 2022.

A last-quarter comparative report between 2021 and 2022 showed notable improvement in the percentage of drug-cleared barangays from 88.36% (of the 128 barangays) in 2021 to 93.80% in 2022; drug-affected from 8.54% in 2021 to 3.10% in 2022.  The number of drug-free barangays remained the same in both years.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong who chairs the CPOC welcome the gains in the anti-drug campaign and expressed appreciation to law enforcement agencies and other sectors actively working to combat the drug problem in the city. -  With a report from Julie Fianza