This early, defending champion Baguio City is already flexing its muscle to defend the title in the upcoming Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association by sending the biggest delegation when the regional meet opens February 23.
With nearby Province of Benguet as host, the Summer Capital is fielding 569 athletes and will be joined by 76 coaches, 86 chaperons and 96 officials for a total of 827, the biggest among the eight competing local government units of the Cordillera region.
The host province meanwhile will send 581 athletes, 110 coaches, six chaperons and 118 officials totaling to 815 in their bid to improve its third-place finish from last year’s CARAA.
2023 and 2024 1st runner – up Apayao will field 516 athletes with 220 coaches and officials joining the weeklong regional sports meet.
Some 708 athletes and officials will be sent by the Province of Abra while Ifugao has 704 including 486 athletes.
Mountain Province is sending 633 athletes and officials while Kalinga will have 581 delegates with Tabuk City have the least participants with 550.
During a recent media conference, Department of Education – Cordillera reginal director and Benguet Schools Division Superintendent officer – in – charge Estela Cariño said preparations for proposed billeting schools for the athletes and the technical officials, playing venues, schedule of other events and other technical details for the hosting of the event are being ironed out in time of the opening on Feb. 23.
The Benguet Sports Complex in Wangal, La Trinidad will be the main hub of the sports competition that will run until Feb. 28 with some event to be staged in other parts of the capital town while nearby town of Tublay and Baguio City will also be venues of several events.
Governor Melchor Diclas in a report from the Philippine Information Agency stressed that the hosting of the CARAA will showcase the hospitality of the people of Benguet as the 13 municipalities will be clustered to host the delegates from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Benguet and the cities of Baguio and Tabuk.
Diclas added the provincial government with the support of Congressman Eric Go Yap and other stakeholders will do all the necessary preparations to ensure a smooth and memorable CARAA experience in Benguet.
The province earlier announced that it allotted P25 million for the largest sporting event of the region while DepEd is set to download P700,000 for the competition. Roderick Osis
