TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The recently concluded second National Skimboarding Competition in
Tanauan, Leyte, which skimboarding enthusiasts claimed as the largest
skimboarding competition ever held in the Philippines, was a big
success. This was revealed by Governor Jericho Petilla, Congresswoman
Remedios Petilla and Mayor Roque Tiu during the awarding ceremony at
the Tanauan Shorelines.
The competition did
not only promote skimboarding as a water sports but it also opened the
eyes of the local and international people on the existence of
beautiful shorelines in Tanauan, in Leyte and in the whole of Region
8.
This is Tanauan and
Leyte’s contribution to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s through
DOT Secretary Ace Durano’s thrust to bring in more tourists to the
Philippines
to gear up the economy of the country.
Mayor Tiu divulged
that more than one hundred skimboarders from the different parts of
the country, registered in the Second National Skimboarding
Competition which is sanctioned by the Philippine Skimboarding
Federation and by Skim Asia based in Singapore. These, aside from the
skimboarding enthusiasts who were non-competing but who put up tents
and skimboarded on the Tanauan waters.
The competition was
dominated by the local skimboarders who won the nod of the judges from
Skim Asia and the Philippine Skimboarding Federation, with their
expertise and agility in playing with their skimboards along the
shorelines.
The overall champion
Porac Espada received P20,000.00 in cash and a skimboard worth $250.00
donated by Malaysian Jett Shon, a skimboarding enthusiast and
manufacturer of skimboards. The second place was awarded to Obet
Yanuario who received P15,000.00 cash; the third placer was Leo Espada
who received P10,000.00 cash and the fourth place went to skimboarder
Boy Hermosa from Talisay,
Cebu who received P5,000.00.
The skimboarders from
as far as Davao, Palawan, Surigao, Manila, Cebu, Borongan, Guiuan,
Liloan, Maasin and as near as the neighboring city of Tacloban and the
municipalities of Baybay, Ormoc, Tolosa and Dulag considered
themselves winners as they were competing under international
standards.
The eight Singaporian
skimboarders, members and officers of the Skim Asia based in Singapore
said they enjoyed the Tanauan water. Most of them extended their stay
and many of them pledged to come back in December.
Skimboarding in the
Philippines started in Tanauan, Leyte in 2000 when an American
national came to Tanauan to win the heart of a local lass. To
demonstrate skimboarding, he started making a skimboard which he
finished. He however, was not able to teach the local youth how to use
it because he had to leave for the States. He left the skimboard ,
however, which the youth of Tanauan used to train themselves on the
techniques of skimboarding. Some of the young people at Barangay San
Roque and Sto. Niño started making prototypes which today, they now
sell to the enthusiasts. An enthusiast from Tanauan had to go to Cebu
for schooling and he taught some friends there how to skimboard.
Skimboarding then started to spread all over the country. The rest is
history.
The Second
Skimboarding Competition was made possible through the Municipal
government of Tanauan led by Mayor Roque Tiu, the province of Leyte
through Governor Jericho Petilla, the First District of Leyte through
Congresswoman Remedios Petilla, SPAWN organization led by Mark Moron,
the Department of Tourism Region 8 led by Dir. Karen Tiopes, the
Philippine Information Agency through Ms. Olive Tiu, PepsiCola, New
Leyte Edible Oil, San Miguel Corporation and Wella Metal Furniture.
