3 senators grace CLRAA Meet 2018 opening in Bulacan

CITY OF MALOLOS- Not one but three Senators of the Republic of the Philippines graced the opening program of the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA) Meet 2018 that took place at the Bulacan Sports Complex located at Brgy. Sta. Isabel in this city yesterday.

Senators Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, and Joel Villanueva together with provincial officials headed by Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado and Vice Gov. Daniel R. Fernando and Department of Education (DepEd) officials welcomed the 11,391 delegates from the 20 divisions of Region 3.

As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports and as a world-renowned athlete himself, Senator Pacquiao advised the student-athletes to have discipline, focus and resilience in order to achieve their goals.

“Posibleng nandito ngayon ang susunod na magiging world-class athlete. Posibleng isa sa inyo ang susunod na Manny Pacquaio sa boxing. At posibleng nandito sa inyo ang magiging gold medalist sa Southeast Asian Games o sa Olympics na darating because with God all things are possible,” the world boxing champion said.

Likewise, Senator Angara shared his elatedness for having authored and sponsored the Republic Act No. 10699 or the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act” which raised the incentives that athletes winning from international events receive from the government.

“Tulad nina Hidilyn Diaz na Olympic silver medalist at ni Jeric Taladro na lumahok sa Palarong Pambansa 2016 na walang kamay at paa, kahit na maraming pagsubok at mahirap ang inyong pagdadaanan, kaya n’yo rin na magtagumpay at mapataas ang antas ng CLRAA dito sa inyong lugar,” Senator Angara said.

For his part, Alvarado declared that not only the Province of Bulacan but also the whole Central Luzon delegation will try its very best to bring home the bacon in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa.

“We should strive to make the CLRAA Meet splendid and eventful and consider this historic and momentous gathering not only for the sole purpose of competition but instead to celebrate and commemorate the greatness of human spirit which after all is the very core of all sports competition,” the governor of the host province said.

Before the end of the program, the jampacked Bulacan Sports Complex was lit by 15-minute fireworks display which signaled that the CLRAA Meet 2018 is officially open.