Seasports Festival kicks off in Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines - After being spared from the tsunami that slightly affected Northern Luzon last Friday, the two-day Manila Bay Seasports Festival 2011 kicked off yesterday.

Rowers from Cebu, Iloilo, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cavite, Quezon, Batangas, Bulacan, Surigao, Mindoro, Leyte, Aklan, Navotas and Tondo, Manila will compete in the dragon boat and bancathon races.

Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) president Ruperto Nicdao Jr. said the festival also aims to raise public awareness on the need to clean up Manila Bay.

“Manila Bay used to be really filthy. As you know, people cannot swim in Manila Bay. So the event is both a sporting event and an event that aims to create awareness of the ecological problem that we have in Manila Bay,” he said.

The sports competition, which is now on its 7^th year, was organized by the MBC and the city government of Manila, in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard, Smart Communications, Caltex, Gold Eagle Beer, Alaxan, Zesto, Filinvest, M. Lhuillier, Choco Quick, Wings Detergent, Briggs and Stratton and Cord Marine Epoxy.

“We got really good support. For the city of Manila, I think it’s a way of focusing on the city of Manila as a tourist destination. So we are quite happy about the partnerships between our company and the city of Manila,” Nicdao said.