Tarlac Palaro is a Dream Come True
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 11 Apr 2010
Hosting the Palarong Pambansa had been Tarlac patriarch Jose ?Apeng? Yap?s long-time obsession.
Today, that dream will be fulfilled although it?s a pity he will no longer savor the sweetness of seeing the some 10,000 elementary and high school student athletes representing the best from the country?s 17 regions display their athletic prowess in quest for fame and glory.
His son though, incumbent Gov. Victor Yap and his 1.5 million province mates will.
?The Palaro hosting is a dream comes true as far as my father was concerned, ? the younger Yap said during a recent interview.
?Sayang nga at hindi na niya inabot na idaos dito sa lalawigan ng Tarlac ang Palaro gaya nang matagal na niyang pinangarap,? he said. ?But still I believe he?s happy where he is now because his dream has finally been fulfilled.?
This actually is the first time that the biggest massed-based sport development this shore will be held in the province. And the only second in the Central Luzon Region, following a similar hosting by San Fernando, Pampanga two decades ago.
And for Gov. Yap, this won?t be the last for he intends to bid again the Visayas-Luzon-Mindanao-Luzon rotation of system hosting reaches Luzon anew if only to reiterate to the entire archipelago Tarlac as the newest sports and tourism destination in the country.
Not only that, whenever none would be capable of staging the games for reasons of lack of funds, peace and security or other as had happened in the past, Yap stressed that he will be there to boast for his province.
He was probably thinking of Bacolod City, which in the 53-year history of Palaro that started when Manila played host to the then Bureau of Education Public Schools Interscholastic meet in 1948, had the most number of opportunity as venue of the annual conclave.
While 1948 was the first and only time the games were held in the imperial Big City, Bacolod, otherwise known as the ?:City of Smile, ? staged the five times in 1974, 1979 and from 2008 to 2000.
Next with the most number of hosting with three each are Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Naga City in Albay, Iloilo City and Tacloban City. The Ilocos Sur capital was chosen as site in 1953, repeated 18 years later in 1971 and again in 1975. The first time Naga was selected was only in 1997 but repeated only five years later in 2002 and in 2006.
Iloilo celebrated Palaro?s eighth anniversary but needed 44 years to bring it back in 1991 before holding it last in 2005. Tarlac actually followed Tacloban which hosted las year?s edition although the Leyte Province?s gateway to Waraylandia was also the place of the games in1965 and 1983.
Lucena City in Quezon, Tuguegarao in Cagayan, Cavite City, Lingayan in Pangasinan, Zamboanga City and Cagayan de Oro City are the only places that had the chances of hosting the palaro more than once.
Lucena in 1976 and 1989, Tuguegarao in 1949 and 1981, Lingayen in 1959 and 1995, Zamboanga in 1968 and 1982 and Cagayan de Oro in 1978 and 1988.
Like Manila, Davao City held the Palaro only once along with Legaspi City, Cebu City, Batangas City, Tagbilaran in Bohol, Ozamis City, Roxas City, Pasig when still part of Rizal Province, Quezon City, Laoag City, Pili in Camarines Sur, Surigao City, Dipolog City, San Fernando in Pampanga, Ilagan in Isabela, SOCSARGEN (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos), Tubod in Lanao del Norte, Koronadal City and Puerto Princesa.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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