The Municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet bested other towns and cities to be crowned champion of the 2019 Pilipinas Para Games held in the Benguet Sports Complex from May 9 to 11.
According to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Salad Bowl of the Philippines and home of delicious strawberries, hauled a total of 44 medals composing of 11 golds, 17 silvers, and 16 bronze medals to lead the pack.
Baguio City took the runner-up slot with its 9 gold and 4 silver medal haul.
They were followed by Mankayan, Bokod, Tublay, Tuba, Itogon and Kapangan, respectively.
The Pilipinas Para Games is the successor and improved version of the Differently-Abled Sports for Life (DAS4Life) program last year.
According to PSC Spokesperson Jan Facundo, the Pilipinas Para Games will now have a country-wide scope that will reach more talents and promising para-athletes across the country.
He also said that the aim of the 2019 PIlipinas Para Games is to entice the youth belonging the Persons With Disabilities (PWD) community to improve their abilities in sports. He also added that it is the commission’s (PSC) aim to make this competition a way to discover athletes that could eventually represent the Philippines in tournaments abroad.
The event was conducted by the PSC, along with the Philippine Sports Association for Differently Abled-National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (Philspada) and the province of Benguet.
More than 200 delegates composed of para-athletes from the different municipalities of Benguet and the city of Baguio and other representatives from the PSC, local government units and the partner agencies participated in the provincial event that kicked off with a motorcade from Km 3 to the Benguet Sports Complex in Wangal.
Among the sporting events played during the three-day event include bocce, chess, athletics, archery and exhibition events of the power lifting and basketball on wheelchair.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS