The light rain showers definitely did not dampen the good mood, and excitement of the children who were blissfully thrilled to participate in Abanse Negrense’s Children with Disabilities (CWD) Athletics Day on Friday, September 30.
The city of Victorias hosted the event in Cane Town, Brgy. 19-A covered court at 8 a.m.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Sports Office (PSO) head Anthony Carlo Agustin had long planned to create equal opportunities and increase access to participation and inclusion of children with disabilities in sports and athletic programs. Through the Abanse Negrense Sports Projects, PSO successfully reached this goal by organizing a sports fest dedicated to these children.
In hopes of eradicating the stigma on children with disabilities in the province, the PSO organized events to raise awareness and understanding of different disability issues. With the help, support and encouragement from local government units (LGUs) and the community, the PSO wished to increase access and promote the inclusion of these children in sports and recreational activities today and in the future.
Meanwhile, representatives from various LGUs in the North – including the cities of Cadiz and Victorias, and the municipality of Manapla – participated in the fun and exciting Abanse Negrense CWD Athletics Day. The children competed in the following events: shot put, ball relay, standing long jump, sprint running race, and bocce.
Categories included were aged 15 and below (boys and girls) and aged 16 and above (boys and girls). The participants represented 4 categories of disability – the intellectually disabled (ID), partially blind (PB), totally blind (TB), and hearing-impaired (HI).
On behalf of Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Dr. Joselito Diaz and Sherlou Labrador of the city’s Culture and Ethics Office graced the event. Also present were Brgy. Captain Lucia Duran of Brgy. 19-A and Negrense para-swimmer and ASEAN Games gold medalist Ariel Joseph Alegarbes, who led the prayer during the event.
A special intermission number was also performed by Ane Mae Parcon from the CWD team of Victorias City.
For the LGU with the most wins, Victorias City made the most out of their home-court advantage as they took the lead in winning in most of the games and categories. The city also sponsored the cash prizes for the first, second and third place winners.
With the success of the recent Abanse Negrense Children with Disabilities Athletics Day, Lacson, Agustin and the PSO are hoping to plan and organize more sports events for these children, the press release from the PSO added.*
