Belmonte lauds Champs for Joy

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte expressed elation over the success of the “Champs for Joy” swimming program where 300 QC boys and girls were taught how to swim by national coaches of the Diliman Preparatory School and the Philipine Swimming League at the DPS Swimming Center recently.

Vice Mayor Belmonte attended the graduation day of the children who were given free learn-to-swim lessons May 15-June 15 by PSL coach Edgar Galeno. The DPS Swimming Center, whose school is headed by former Sen. Nikki Coseteng, is run by the PSL under president and founder Susan Papa.

The Learn to Swim project is part of the Champs for Joy program of Vice Mayor Belmonte.

“The swimmers are completely transformed, I saw them when the children started and now they became disciplined,” Belmonte said.

Sen. Coseteng, who was into sports since the 70’s when she was manager-owner of a PBA ball club said, “The swimming center is also created to develop talents from grassroots.”

Coseteng said the graduate swimmers, as part of their developmental program, would participate in novice competitions this month.

On the other hand, the “ Learn to Swim program also hopes to encourage more Filipinos to learn to swim for their own safety and also if they continue, this will be a vehicle for free education if they become good swimmers in the future,” Papa said.

Belmonte promised to continue the program for competitive swimming training, saying she wants to produce topnotch swimmers in the city.