MANILA, Philippines - Tubod, Lanao del Norte- The Northern Mindanao Regional Athletic Association (NMRAA) Meet, also known as the Palarong Pampook, opened yesterday at the Mindanao Civic Center sports complex in Lanao del Norte.
Over 6,000 student-athletes paraded in the main streets of the capital town to usher in the five-day meet hosted anew by the Lanao del Norte government.
Among the participating teams are the elementary and high school athletes from Bukidnon, Malaybalay, Camiguin, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, El Salvador, Gingoog, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, the cities of Oroquieta, Ozamis, Tangub and Valencia and host province Lanao del del Norte.
Governor Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo led the entrance of the Friendship Torch and the lighting of the Urn of Unity and Peace together with the municipal mayors of the province.
The top student-athletes from each delegation will compete in 17 sporting events – archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and tennis.
This year’s theme, “K-12 Basic Education Program: Engaging Stakeholders and Communities Forward”, reaffirms and emphasizes the role of education in empowering and developing the youth to be productive citizens of the country and responsive to the needs of the times.
Also on hand to witness the opening ceremony were local chief executives of the participating delegations as well as top officials from the Department of Education (DepEd).
The 2012 Palarong Pampook’s opening ceremony was punctuated by a grand fireworks display watched by a mammoth crowd at the sports complex.