Dagupan’s participation in R1AA assured
WITH ANNUAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM
DAGUPAN City’s sports contingent to the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet in Laoag City in April 2024 hurdled the first important phase of their participation in the annual athletic meet – the Annual Investment Program (AIP) that includes the budget for sports under the Special Education Fund (SEF) was approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The second phase to complete the support it needs from the city government is the approval of the 2024 annual budget because the AIP cannot be implemented without the annual budget.
Nonetheless, Finnela Sim, sports head of Dagupan City, heaved a sigh of relief on recalling how the city’s team was left groping in the dark to source funds to bankroll its athletes to the in R1AA Meet in San Carlos City because the AIP was not approved with only few weeks before the team’s departure.
“We still need that annual budget approved soonest so that our Olympic-size swimming pool can be put back in shape,” Sim said.
She said the city’s athletes under the Dagupan City School Division are currently competing in a qualification stage to select athletes who will wear the city’s uniform to the R1AA Meet slated in Laoag City.
She said Dagupan City will send 600 athletes to compete in all events, except archery, and the athletes need funds for their uniforms, subsistence allowance, and their training.
In the R1AA Meet in San Carlos City, Dagupan excelled in swimming, arnis, aero dynamics and boxing to salvage fifth place finish despite low budget, Sim said.
She is optimistic that with the passage of the AIP and soon the annual budget, Dagupan City can be more confident in regaining its lost title as R1AA meet Champion.
Meanwhile, she is still unsure if R1AA executive board will allow three or four Dagupan swimmers who joined the national swimming team to compete.
Sim acknowledged that Laoag City and Ilocos Norte could give Dagupan City a close contest having heard that they copied Dagupan’s grassroots training program in swimming. (Leonardo Micua)
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