Batang Pinoy Dancesports starts with Cebu City as heavy favorites pic.twitter.com/4ORmyeJoZP
— Marc Anthony Reyes (@marcreyesINQ) November 15, 2017
DUMAGUETE CITY—Cebu City shimmied, strutted and swayed its way to dancesport dominance—and the overall leadership—Wednesday in the Batang Pinoy Visayas qualifying here.
With a 10-pair strong contingent, Cebu City, heavily favored on account of its previous performances, picked up all of the 10 gold medals offered at Lamberto Macias Coliseum.
Francis Isaiah Diluvio and Paige Ianah Silud led the Cebu City dancers, winning the elite junior A Latin category where they edged teammate John Lloyd Leyson and Ouie Selene Rendon for the top plum.
The feat allowed Cebu City to wrest the top spot overall with 34 golds, 35 silvers and 33 bronzes, edging host Dumaguete City which had a haul to 32 golds, 18 silvers and 75 bronzes.
Dancesports Team Cebu secretariat Jeannette Flores said the city’s success came from an 18-year-old program that is anchored on “volunteerism and passion to help.”
She said they conduct free summer workshops around the city for aspirants as young as six years old. They are taught by the team members themselves.
“We have members in the Level A who are (aged) seven and eligible to teach,” said Flores. “So what they learn is what they teach also. That’s the root of dancesports success.”
The powerhouse team, which has produced national athletes like Wilbert Aunso and Pearl Marie Caneda, reigned during the 2012 Batang Pinoy National Finals by winning 35 of 36 gold medals at stake.
Over at the city’s famed Rizal Boulevard, Cebu City swept the beach volleyball competitions after El Kenrick Geromo and Nino Jerome Mahilum ruled the boys competitions and Hannah Xyrah Cabansay and Nathalia Red Labiste dominated the girls side.
Cebu City also gained in taekwondo poomsae, collecting four of eight golds disputed in the event. Xander Palacpac (cadet boys individual), Johan Concepcion (junior boys individual Palacpac and Rebecca Ponte (Cadet mixed) and Nohea dela Fuente and Romeo Reyes (junior mixed).
But the overall medal count remained tight with Dumaguete taking a firm grip after shooting down five more golds in archery Olympic round through Prisa Herren Lofranco in Cub girls, Crisha Mae Merto in Cadet girls, Carson Francis Hastie in Cub boys, mixed team and boys division.
It was Merto’s sixth gold of the tournament as she bested teammate Gabrielle Monica, 6-5, in a shoot-off for the title.
Her feat was duplicated by Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental’s Don Marc Bondad, who capped his haul with a 6-2 win over Tacloban’s Frazel Ray Batingal in the final.
