HOST Davao Region (Davraa) Eagles dropped to an all-time low in the overall medal tally at 16th place among 17 competing regions following another gold medal shutout in the second day of the Palarong Pambansa 2019 being held in separate venues in Davao City as of 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Davraa Eagles accounted for three silver medals and seven bronzes while Western Visayas (WVRAA), which hauled 11 golds, six silvers and seven bronzes, had overtaken first day leader Calabarzon Region (STCAA) that got seven golds, five silvers and seven bronzes for the top spot.
STCAA was relegated to the second post followed by 7-5-2 Soccsksargen in third, 6-2-7 Cordillera Administrative Region (Caraa) fourth and defending champion 5-8-6 National Capital Region (NCRAA)
Davao City tankers Eirron Seth Vibar and Juliana Marien Villanueva fell short of the gold and settled for the silvers instead at the start of the swimming competition at the Davao City-University of the Philippines (UP) Sports Complex Aquatics Center.
The 16-year-old Vibar clocked four minutes and 17.18 seconds in secondary boys 400-meter freestyle, trailing behind NCRAA’s Miguel Barreto (4:08.68) who captured the gold. The latter’s teammate Ted Jacob Laminta (4:27.18) copped the bronze.
“Grabe it’s overwhelming. I am proud of myself for winning a silver because I only got a bronze in last year’s Palaro,” the Grade 10 Apo Learning Village student, who is competing in his sixth Palaro stint, said.
Villanueva, for her part, retained the secondary girls 400m freestyle silver she won in the Ilocos Sur Palaro in 2018. She, however, smashed her own 4:46.25 record with a new time of 4:43.29. Perennial rival Janelle Alisa Lin of Ilocos Region registered 4:40.97 to claim the gold while Soccsksargen’s Thea Diane Canda (4:44.02) bagged the bronze.
“I just thought of doing my best during the swim. I feel happy though for beating my time,” she told SunStar Davao in an interview, adding that she aims to defend her 800m freestyle gold on Thursday. She currently holds the secondary girls 800m Palaro record.
Davraa’s third silver came from taekwondo jins Elah Janica Liwag and Juan Miguel Dalangin who placed second in secondary mixed pair poomsae event at the Gaisano Mall of Toril.
Meanwhile, Liaa Margarette Amoguis (elementary girls 200m freestyle) and Rain Tumulac (elementary boys 200m freestyle) took swimming bronzes.
Leinard Jim Cinco (elementary boys individual Espada Y Daga), Stacey Nicole Cañeda (elementary girls 400m hurdles), Jaz Destua and Kelvin Asumbrado (elementary taekwondo mixed pair), Khessie Jane Baluyot (secondary girls discus throw) and Irish Yngayo and Blanche Bongato (secondary girls team blitz chess) also annexed bronzes for Davraa.