The Baguio City E-Lions cemented their status as the gold standard of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association, retaining the overall title in a dominant performance.
The Summer Capital’s “show of force” concluded with a haul of 214 gold, 110 silver, and 67 bronze medals.
Swimming served as the primary hunting ground for the E-Lions, who secured 58 golds across the elementary and secondary divisions while scoring significant victories in archery, athletics, arnis, and taekwondo.
Xyndrex Chris Orinion meanwhile re-asserted his title as the fastest man in Cordillera after retaining the 100-M dash crown in the secondary boys division after clocking in 11.14 seconds besting Mountain Province’ Adrian Wawey (11″18) and Kalinga’s Blyton June Bangsoy (11″46)
Orinion however did not beat his personal best of 10.83 he set last year.
“Hindi ko man nakuha yung personal best ko this year, pero pipilitin kong maka kuha ng medal sana sa Palarong Pambansa,” said the Grade 11 University of Baguio student.
Benguet’s Nixie Mackellay clocked 13.09 seconds to claim gold in the secondary girls’ division followed by Mountain Province’s Liz Lee Ann Lumpisa, who took silver in 13.23 seconds, and Danica Acusar of Abra, who earned the bronze with a time of 13.40 seconds.
In the elementary boys’ division, Bryner Bio added another gold to Benguet’s tally, crossing the finish line in 12.79 seconds. Rayber Mark Balba of Mountain Province secured the silver medal in 12.87 seconds, while Keitron Mogol rounded out the podium with a bronze-medal time of 13.03 seconds.
Calleigh Duqueyne Paga of Kalinga sprinted to a gold medal finish in 14.07 seconds in the elementary girls’ category, where She narrowly edged out Maria Prinsesa Bonete of Abra, who finished in 14.10 seconds for the silver, while Meisha Drianna Maclinic of Mountain Province captured the bronze with a time of 14.29 seconds.
The Race for Second
Host province Benguet narrowly held off a surging Apayao squad to retain second place. The Stingers finished the weeklong competition with a 62-93-10 medal count.
The Stingers retained the secondary boys’ basketball crown while dance sports delivered 10 golds, nine in athletics, seven in arnis, and two more in sepak takraw
The Apayao Eagles secured third place with 57 golds, 59 silvers, and 87 bronzes. The province reaffirmed its status as a regional powerhouse by shattering records in gymnastics.
Apayao captured a CARAA-record 32 golds across all gymnastics disciplines, including 12 in aerobic gymnastics, seven in men’s artistic gymnastics (MAG), seven in rhythmic gymnastics, and six in women’s artistic gymnastics (WAG). The Eagles also impressed on the mat, taking four golds in wrestling.
Shifting Ranks
Abra, set to host the 2027 CARAA games, climbed to fourth place. The Mighty Abreno Weavers finished with a 25-49-77 count, improving on last year’s fifth-place finish.
The Ifugao Builders slipped to fifth place with 23 gold, 43 silver, and 55 bronze medals.
The Kalinga Bulls staged the most dramatic turnaround of the tournament. After finishing last in 2025 with only four golds, Kalinga leaped to sixth place this year with 22 gold, 25 silver, and 58 bronze medals.
Rounding out the standings, the Tabuk City Coffee Roasters took seventh with 14-10-37, while Mountain Province Mabikas closed the competition in eighth with 10 gold, 28 silver, and 48 bronze medals. Roderick Osis