• A.V. DEL CARMEN
A step ahead.
Private schools in the two provinces of Negros Island open the first-ever Negros Island Region PRISAA Meet at the STI West Negros University Gymnasium in Bacolod City at 9 a.m. today.
Athletes of 12 tertiary institutions in both Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental will see action in 13 sports events in the regional meet that will end on April 30.
The legislation creating NIR is awaiting the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after Senate Bill No. 2507 was approved early in March.
The House of Representatives has adopted the Senate version, prompting the immediate submission to Malacañang for the President’s signature.
Negros Occidental colleges and universities were previously members of the powerhouse Western Visayas PRISAA.
The NIR PRISAA Meet, which includes a literary-musical competition and the Mutya ng PRISAA selection, is being held as qualifying for the National PRISAA games, which is scheduled in Legazpi City on July 20-26.
Dr. Ryan Mark Molina, second vice president of the National PRISAA organization and executive vice president and chief operations officer of STI WNU, explained the decision to splinter from Western Visayas PRISAA.
“While our government is looking into the structure of the Negros Island Region, we, here, in the academe, when it comes to sports development programs, we went ahead; that’s the reason why we established the Negros Island PRISAA. So, the future is here now, it’s happening,” Molina said in a press statement.
Molina, in a related interview, told the Negros NOW Daily that the National PRISAA Board “has given its blessing to put up the Negros Island PRISAA” during its planning conference in August last year.
Molina said he subsequently discussed the forming of the Negros Island PRISAA with NOPSSCEA, WVPRISAA, and schools in Negros Oriental.
The games will focus on the theme, “PRISAA: Steadfast in Advancing and Sustaining Sports Development for Excellence”.
Invited to give their messages today are governors Eugenio Jose Lacson and Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria of the two Negros provinces, Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya, and mayors Albee Benitez and Felipe Antonio Remollo of the cities of Bacolod and Dumaguete, respectively.
Also invited are regional director Raul Alvarez of the Commission on Higher Education and Victorias Mayor Javi Benitez, focal mayor for youth development of the League of Cities of the Philippines.
Toni Hilado, an Accountancy junior at the University of St. La Salle and a multi-awarded taekwondo player in international and national competitions, will lead the Oath of Amateurism in the opening ceremony.
Fr. Joel Alve, president of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, will present the officiating officials and lead their oath, after which, schools represented in the games will be given their certificates of participation.
The traditional urn will be lit by selected athletes, said Molina, who will declare the games officially open.
Events will be played at STI WNU, USLS, UNO-R, Panaad Park and Stadium, SM City Bacolod, and Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
The opening ceremony follows the 7:30 a.m. mass.
Seeing action in the games are athletes of Colegio de Sta. de Victorias, Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation, La Consolation College, North Negros College, Southland College, STI WNU, UNO-R, USLS, and VMA Global College, all in Negros Occidental, and Oriental’s Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandra and Foundation University.
Calendared events are athletics, 5×5 basketball, badminton, beach volleyball, chess, karatedo, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, and swimming, both in the men and women’s divisions.
Three events – 3×3 basketball, football and speak takraw – will be played only for male players.
The literary-musical competition – in oration, vocal solo, and duet – will be held this afternoon, with the selection of the Mutya ng PRISAA set at six tonight, also at the STI WNU Gym. | AVDC with PR
