LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Rep. Eric Yap challenged athletes at the 2026 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) to look beyond physical talent and harness the “power of the tongue” to encourage one another.
Speaking during opening ceremony on at the Feb. 22 at the Benguet Sports Complex, Yap emphasized that verbal discipline is as critical as physical skill.
“Before we control the ball, the racket, or your body, you must learn to control what comes out from your mouth,” Yap said. “A team can lose energy not from fatigue, you can lose strength not from exhaustion, but from careless words.”
Yap warned that a single negative remark can undermine months of sacrifice. He urged athletes to reflect on their past defeats and the people who supported them during those times.
“I want you to remember your failures instead of your wins,” Yap said, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English. “Those missed shots, those times you fell short on trials, and days you have said to yourself that maybe [you] are not good enough.”
To illustrate his point, the congressman shared the story of Thomas Edison. He noted that while a teacher once criticized the inventor for a perceived lack of ability, Edison’s mother chose to believe in him.
“Athletes, listen carefully,” Yap said. “Thomas Edison did not become great because of talent alone; he became great because someone chose her words carefully.”
He challenged the participants to decide what role they would play during the competition.
“Today you have a choice,” he said. “You can be Thomas Edison’s teacher in the story. Or you can be the crowd who criticizes, or you can be the mother — the one who lifts others higher than they believe.”
While every team possesses talented players, Yap said the distinction lies in those who use their words to strengthen their teammates. He told the crowd that the next great champion of the region was among them.
“Medals will not only be won by the fastest and strongest, but by those who refuse to accept the limits that others placed on them,” Yap said.
The event marks the second consecutive year Benguet has hosted the regional meet. Kyla Macapanas/UP Baguio Intern