UNDERSTANDABLY, the forthcoming May 2025 elections are cash-draining with the local and national politicians have now started filing their Certificates of Candidacy (CoC) before the office of the Commission on Elections since Tuesday, October 1.
The budgetary constraint is a big challenge, yet Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental are hoping to participate again in the annually-held Batang Pinoy National Championships.
This year’s edition will be slated in Puerto Princesa, Palawan this coming November 24-29.
In the last two editions in Vigan City and Metro Manila, both Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental have lorded it over in chess competition, with the latter also picking a couple of golds in athletics, courtesy of jumper Marc Angelo Cabiluna from Villanueva town.
“Wala pa’y confirmation but kamulo na process nga makaapil gihapon mi sa city. If plans will not miscarry, we will be sending in at least eight chess players in the Batang Pinoy meet,” Cagayan de Oro chess coach Renan Cantilado told Gold Star Daily.
Cantilado, however, explained that the vaunted pair of 2024 Olympiad medalist Ruelle Canino and Woman National Master Lila Alyssa Seriña will miss the Batang Pinoy challenge, owing to an international stint that they’ll compete instead in Singapore.
Volleyball enthusiast Bing Waga replaced basketball lover Romarey Guro, who died some months ago, as city sports coordinator, and may spearhead Team CDO in Palawan barring unforeseen glitches.
Already, Paglaum sports caretaker Chrysostom ‘Tammy’ Cailing wrote a letter to Governor Peter ‘Sr Pedro’ M. Unabia through provincial administrator John Venice Ladaga, expressing the Provincial Sports Development Office’s intention to partake in the week-long Batang Pinoy meet.
The Batang Pinoy is the country’s biggest grassroots sports program for student-athletes aged 17 years old and younger, including the out-of-school youth.
