Bulacan cops 16th overall title in CLRAA

MALOLOS, Philippines  – Bulacan dominated the week-long Central Luzon Regional Athletics Association (CLRAA) on Friday, taking both the elementary and high school championships for their 16th overall crown.

As overall champion in both divisions, the Bulacan Provincial Schools Division snatched the P100,000 cash incentives donated by Sen. Ramon Revilla.

School heads and coaches said they would start preparations for the Palarong Pambansa in May, while heads of local government units vowed not only to give cash incentives to the game’s medalists, but also provide assistance in training.

Dr. Edna Zerrudo, Department of Education (DepEd) division superintendent for Bulacan, said Bulacan’s provincial schools division remained as the sports power in Central Luzon despite the creation of the city schools division in the cities of Malolos and San Jose Del Monte.

The city schools divisions were created after the conversion of the towns of San Jose Del Monte and Malolos into component cities of Bulacan in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

“Bulacan could have been more overpowering if athletes from the two city schools division are still playing under the banner of the provincial schools division,” Zerrudo said.

Other members of the 18 schools division in Central Luzon hoped that the creation of two city schools division in Bulacan would weaken the provincial schools division’s capability.

But Bulakenyo athletes proved them wrong as Bulacan provincial schools division ruled both elementary and secondary divisions of the CLRAA.

The over all second place was grabbed by Pampanga provincial schools division as Capampangan athletes placed second to Bulacan in both elementary and high school.

In the elementary division, Malolos city placed third, followed by the provinces of Aurora and Bataan, and the City of Olongapo at sixth place.

In the high school division, other members of the tops six are: Bataan (3rd), Olongapo City (4th), Angeles City (5th), and Nueva Ecija (6th).

During the awarding ceremonies at the Bulacan Sports Complex here, Dr. Teofila Villanueva, the DepEd Regional Director for Central Luzon handed to Gov. Wilhelmino Alvarado and Dr. Zerrudo the brown envelope containing the P100,000 cash reward donated by Senator Revilla on Sunday.

However, unlike the colorful opening ceremonies last Sunday, the awarding and closing ceremony on Friday was dull with only few of the about 9,000 athletes, coachs and school heads present.

This is due to the fact that some of the athletes started to go home as early as Wednesday after performing in the sports events, while other remained in their barracks until Friday afternoon to rest.

Concerns were also raised by some trainers on the standards of the games as DepEd Regional Office did not shows if there are game’s records broken this year.

But the biggest concern on standards is DepEd’s failure to show records in previous CLRAA competitions especially on athletics.

Trainers on coaches who asked not to be named said that old game’s records on specific athletic events could have inspired their athletes to perform better as they will try to break records.

“We don’t know what record to break,” a coach said.

The coaches said that records set by CLRAAathletes in the past can be compared to records set in previous Palarong Pambansa to know their athlete’s chances.