La Trinidad honors 4 para athletes

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The municipal government has vowed to support local para athletes by coming up with an ordinance strengthening its sports program, its promotion and development, especially for differently-abled persons.

Mayor Romeo Salda and Councilor Roderick Awingan on Friday led municipal officials in giving honor to local para athletes who brought home four gold, a silver and a bronze medals from the recently concluded 6th Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Paralympic Games held in Marikina City on May 12-19.

The honorees were led by para swimmer Isidro Luis, who bagged three gold medals in swimming from the 100-meter freestyle, 50meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke; and para powerlifters Denesia Esnara, Rebecca Pabericio, and Jill Malingan.

Esnara brought home a gold medal in the 55-kg. event; Pabericio bagged a silver medal in the 45-kg. event while Malingan settled for a bronze in the 55-kg.

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“It’s an honor and privilege to play and represent our town,” Luis said in the vernacular, a veteran of six editions of the national para games, representing this town.

Other para athletes recognized were Prescy Tomboc in the field event-throwing and chess enthusiast Dante Sagyaman.

Para archer Malingan, who turned powerlifter, is employed as this town’s People with Disability (PWD) Affairs officer, expressed her team’s gratitude for the assistance given by the municipality.

Malingan is hopeful that the local government unit would extend more support, such as sports training equipment, to local para athletes.

Councilor Awingan, who chairs the Committee on Sports at the municipal council, assured the local para athletes that he would file an ordinance to give training allowances and incentives to the sector.