Calbayog City Paddlers earn 2nd

Sandugo Dragon Boat brag rights

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Aug 21 (PIA)—Calbayog City’s Hibatang Paddler successfully defended the ultimate dragonboat paddling bragging rights for the Sandugo Festival in Bohol, during a two-day festival type of race that feature non-stop 7 heat endurance races only offered yet in Bohol.

Held at the scenic Miramar Wharf in Dauis and racing along Tagbilaran City Strait, the Bohol Sandugo Ultimate Dragon Boat Festival, is a first time in the Philippine Dragon Boat circuit, which pits paddling teams against each other in non-stop 7 heat endurance races that truly roots out the weak and the unprepared.

But offered the second time this year, Hibatang Paddlers came in with exactly to Bohol in the right frame of mind: defend their 2023 paddling trophy and still give to their paddlers the best time for their training and tune up races.

Trained and coached by Jun Guades, and supported by the city government of Calbayog under the leadership of City Mayor Raymund C. Uy through the City Sports Commission headed by Jaynard Monterona, the team has been both an inspiration and a mission for Boholano paddlers who were first introduced with dragon boating in 2013.

Timed for the annual Sandugo Festival, Bohol’s premier tourism event, dragon boating has been among the most recent sports tourism offers, propping up Bohol as a wholesome tourism destination.

Then ruled by a homegrown paddlers from workshops and trainings handled by Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated, dragon boating in Bohol has since expanded accepting competitors in standard and lon boat competitions OVERALL CHAMPIONS – HIBATANG PADDLERS ( Calbayog City)

1st Runner Up – Carmen Dragon Boat Team (Cagayan De Oro City)

2nd Runner Up – Dumaguete Yellow Fins (Dumaguete City)

3rd Runner Up – Primary Homes (Bohol)

4th Runner Up – Arko Drakon

5th Runner Up – SAG1 Dragon Boat (Metro Manila)

Masters Open Small Boat

1st Place - Dumaguete Yellow Fins (Dumaguete City)

2nd Place - Hibatang Paddlers (Calbayog City)

3rd Place – Brgy. Carmen Dragon Boat Team (Cagayan de Oro)

4th Place – Primary Homes Dragon Boat Team (Bohol)

Masters Mixed Small Boat

1st Place – Hibatang Paddlers (Calbayog City)

2nd Place – Dumaguete Yellow Fins (Dumaguete City)

3rd Place – Primary Homes Dragon Boat Team (Bohol)

4th Place - Barangay Carmen Dragon Boat Team (Cagayan de Oro)

Mixed Standard Boat

1st Place – Dumaguete Yellow Fins (Dumaguete City)

2nd Place - Barangay Carmen Dragon Boat Team (Cagayan de Oro)

3rd Place - Hibatang Paddlers (Calbayog City)

Open Small Boat

1st Place – Hibatang Paddlers (Calbayog City)

2nd Place -Primary Homes Dragon Boat Team (Bohol)

3rd Place -Barangay Carmen Dragon Boat Team (Cagayan de Oro)

Women Small Boat Category

1st Place -Barangay Carmen Dragon Boat Team (CDO)

2nd Place -Dumaguete Yellow Fins (Dumaguete City)

3rd Place -Hibatang Paddlers (Calbayog City)A group of young and determined paddlers who had to travel from Samar to Bohol, emerged as the champions during the Bohol Sandugo Ultimate Dragon Boat Festival (DB Fest) race held July 22-23 at the Miramar Wharf.

Calbayog City’s Hibatang Paddlers brought home P150,000 in cash prize as they were declared winners of the DB Fest.

They arrived in Bohol from back-to-back competitions in Siargao for a fourth over-all finish.

The Hibatang Paddlers were first in the women’s crew, 4th in the open crew, and 3rd in the mixed crew but still managed to get the best times overall, scooping in a total of 63 points to rule overall in the 19 team ultimate paddling competitions.

Training for heat competitions, the visiting dragon boating crews joining the Bohol Sandugo Ultimate Dragon Boat Race were in for a surprise.

While dragon boat race competitions happen in heats of 300 or 400 meters, Bohol’s ultimate races feature an entirely different format: race the entire seven heats, with the recovery time only happening as the team paddles back the starting line again in four minutes.

Only after completing the 7 heat races can the paddlers disembark and be replaced by another team to do the next 7 heats.

Homegrown Dauis Wild Dragons, a select team of paddlers from the Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated, rowed for a second best time in the three categories: Women Small Boat, Open Small Boat, and Mixed Standard Boat and its 7 heat races to land the first runner up prize.

Dauis Wild Dragons finished 7th in the Women Small Boat, 2nd in the Open Small Boat, and 8th in the Mixed Standard Boat to earn 51 aggregate points.

The San Jose Banatti Dragon Boat Ream of San Jose Negro Oriental bagged the second runner-up earning 50 points bagging first in the Mixed Standard Boat, 8th in the Open Small Boat and 13th in the Women Small Boat.

Manila–based dragon boat team Bomba Pilipinas Dragon Boat Team eased into the third runner-up earning 46 points after finishing 5th in the Women’s Small Boat, 5th in the Open Small Boat, and 10th in the Mixed Standard Boat.

With a fourth runner-up finish is Dumaguete Yellowfins, after finishing first in the Open Small Boat, 11th in the Women’s Small Boat, and 12th in the Mixed Standard Boat for the same points with Bomba Pilipinas but lost to Bomba Pilipinas in the mixed standard tie breaker.

Davao City Team Ricspeed Dragon Boat Team finished 5th runner-up with 45 points after a 4th finish in the Standard Mixed boat, 8th in the Open Small Boat, and 9th in the Women’s Small Boat.

Cebu City’s PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team finished 6th runner-up with a strong 4th finish on Women Small Boat, 7th on the Open Small Boat, and 13th in the Standard Mixed Boat, earning 43 points.

Boholano team Haguroz Dragon Boat also earned 40 points overall with is third strong finish in Women’s Small Boat, 10th in the Open Small Boat, and 14th in the Mixed standard for the 7th runner-up slot.

Another Boholano Team of Atty. Jordan Pizarras Paddlers ranked 8th runner up with 37 points from a 6th strong finish in the Mixed Standard Boat, 10th in the Women’s Small Boat, and 13th in the Open Small Boat races.

Iligan City’s Team Dalipuga Dragons garnered the same 37 points, but could only manage the 9th place in the standard mixed boat as against Atty. Jordan Pizarras Paddlers’ 6th finish.

At 10th runner-up was Leyte’s Survivors Paddling Team with an aggregate of 34 points.

At 11th runner-up was Sugbu Mighty Dragons with 33 points, 12th was Mayacabac Silliman University with 32 points, and 13th runner-up was Waray Bugsay Dragon Boat Crew at 32 points.

Teams One Piece Drakon Sangres, Kabalikat, Hilera Mizuchi DB Team A, Hibatang B and Hilera Mizichi Team B did not field some entries in either one or two categories, thereby eliminating them from the chances of getting higher overall rankings. (RAHC/PIA-7 Bohol)