BORONGAN CITY – Even the 3rd leg of the Philippine National Surfing Championship has just concluded, the city government here has announced the schedule of their hosting next year.
Surf City chairman and city information officer Rupert Ambil said that the city will host the national surfing event next year to be held on the last week of November until first week of December.
Choosing said date is a safe period because it is already a typhoon season in Eastern Visayas during the last month of the year.
“As hosts, we wanted to show that since we already know that we will be hosting next year, we announce now the date of our hosting so that surfers can prepare early,” Ambil said.
“It is unfair for the athlete to know that you are going to compete one week before, travel fare is so expensive, so the mayor said that if we know that we are going to host next year, it should be announced now so that they can prepare because not all surfers who wanted to become a national athlete has the means,” he added.
Citing the experience of La Union surfers who are now competing in Borongan, the group which includes June Esquivel arrived two weeks before the competition.
The group from La Union is among the 250 surfers from various surfing communities in the country like Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Zambales, Siargao, and Ilocos Sur are competing now at the Surf in the City, the 3rd leg of the national surfing competition.
Their early arrival means more funds which is why they conducted various fundraising activities to sustain their stay like selling shirts and thru social media.
The lack of funds is a real problem that all athletes, not only surfers, experiences in any journey towards a competition but this should not stop them in pursuing their dream, according to Esquivel.
Borongan is on its third year of hosting one of the leg of Philippine National Surfing Competition which is held at the Surf City at Baybay Boulevard located within the city proper.
The Surf in the City Festival 2022 is sponsored by the city government, provincial government, and the lone legislative district of Eastern Samar and organized by the United Philippine Surfing Association and Surfriders Club of Eastern Samar.
The 3rd leg of the national surfing tour is also supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission MVP Sports Foundation, Tanduay, and NextGen Foundation.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
