DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, during Friday's closing ceremonies of the Davraa Meet 2018 at the University of Mindanao (UM) Sports Center, vowed an all-new experience for delegates should Davao City be given another chance to host the regional meet again in 2019.
The mayor, in her speech, said: "Davao City would like to host again the Davraa 2019. We will make sure a different experience for all of you."
She said that the city will utilize by then the Davao City-UP Sports Complex in Mintal.
"I hope that you will support Davraa 2019. I hope tugtan ang Davao City mag-host sa Davraa 2019 (the city be permitted to host the Davraa 2019)," Duterte-Carpio said as she thanked the executive committe, the delegations, Department of Education and all partners and sponsors, among others, for making the city's hosting a success.
She also praised the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) "who prepared and worked hard to make zero incidence for the entire time that we hosted the Davraa".
She also bared that it was not her intention to attack the teachers of the Mati City delegation whose delegates succumbed to food poisoning before the games officially opened.
"I urged Deped and the LGU of Mati to conduct an investigation so next time around it does not happen," Duterte-Carpio said.
She also said that most of the athletes don't come from well-off families and their parents entrusted them to delegation officials only to suffer food poisoning.
She added, "Ang sakit kay gi-entrust sa mga ginakanan ilang mga anak unya ingon ana ra (What pains me is the parents entrusted their children only to suffer like that)."
She then urged the athletes not to accept such neglect of having to eat leftover "Nest time around pahibaw-i dayon me (Let us know immediately). As host mao na among trabaho (that's our responsibility) to make all of you enjoy your stay and make your participation in the Davraa very good for everyone.
Meanwhile, first Filipina Olympian marathoner Mary Joy Tabal of Guba, Cebu, challenged the athletes to put their dreams to heart.
"Libre ang mangandoy (It's free to dream) but it takes time, sweat, hardwork, sacrifices, perseverance, discipline, passion, dedication and humility to achieve a certain goal," the five-time National Milo Marathon champion said.
She urged them to keep dreaming and work really harder, saying that if she could be an Olympian, they can be like her.
She closed, "Go chase your dream. Ang damgo magpabiling damgo kung imo nang pakatulgon. So matulog, pag damgo, ayaw kalimot pagmata og buhata imong gidamgo. (Sleep, dream, don't forget to wake up and do what you have dreamt). Do it. Keep dreaming and never give up on your dream."