PALOMPON, LEYTE, Philippines – Locals and vacationers will have the long weekend their chance to see the 2nd Open Invitational Kayak Marathon Race in Eastern Visayas on November 3, at Kalanggaman Island of this town.
The 15-km Kayak Race will be the opening activity of the 2nd Palompon Lawig Festival 2012, in honor of the town’s patron Saint Francis Xavier whose feast day falls on December 3.
Thirty pairs of kayak racers—under beginners, intermediate and advanced categories—are slated to participate in the competition that will start from Kalanggaman Island and end at the port of this town, some 15.9 kilometers away or around 8.6 nautical miles.
The marathon, now on its 2nd annual staging, is spearheaded by the Palompon Municipal Eco-tourism Council Incorporated (PMET Inc.) and North West Leyte Tourism Alliance, in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Rene Camposano, president of PMET Inc., said that kayak racing may sound unfamiliar to the locals but its fundamental nature has a strong parallel to the very roots of Palompon’s history. This old coastal town in northwestern Leyte, traces its name from the cluster of mangrove flowers that floats idly at the shallow portion of the harbor, just like small kayaks floating on the sea. — (FREEMAN)