Zambales hosts Dragon Boat Festival

CANDELARIA, Zambales, Philippines  – Zambales will host a two-day dragon boat competition here starting today, the first time that such an event will be held in the province now bidding for its own niche in the field of national sports.

Around 12 dragon boat teams will be competing in the first Zambales Dragon Boat Festival, according to Gov. Hermogenes “Jun” Ebdane, who brought the festival here in cooperation with the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF).

Among the teams vying for trophies and medals, as well as cash prizes worth P150,000, are De La Salle University, Onslaught and Blue Phoenix. The Philippine Army team that dominates the Florida World Championships will also see action in the event.

Ebdane added that members of the PDBF team, who topped the recent biennial International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) 10th World Dragon Boat Championships in Tampa Bay, Florida, will also see action in exhibition races here.

“Dragon boat racing is fast becoming a popular sports, what with the recent victory of the Philippine team in Florida. So we have decided to bring this event to Zambales, because we want to help promote this sports, and also because we have an ideal venue for this event – the Uacon Lake,” Ebdane said.

Ebdane said the 112-hectare Uacon Lake has been adjudged for the past several years as the best inland water body in Central Luzon.

“This is flat water, which is really what you need for dragon boat racing. More important, this is not man-made, it’s a natural body of water that teems with marine life,” he added.

Zambales provincial administrator Jun Omar Ebdane said Day One will start off with races in the 400-meter events for men, women and mixed categories, while Day Two will involve races in the 250-meter event.

The PDBF has set team limits to a maximum of 10 members and a minimum of nine for men’s teams, nine maximum and eight minimum for women’s teams and 6-4 maximum and 5-4 minimum for mixed teams.

The champion team will receive P30,000, first runner-up P20,000, second runner-up P15,000 and third runner-up P10,000. 

Zambales has been beefing up its sports program through events like 4x4 truck and motorcycle races, boxing and skimboarding competitions. It hosted the Zamba Sea Sports Festival early this year.

The provincial government is also developing the Zambales Sports Center in capital Iba in a bid to host the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association Meet next year.