AS THE athletic field heats up in Cebu City for the 2024 Palarong Pambansa and athletes are either loosening up after an exhausting game or preparing for their respective sports, two things await everyone after going under the extreme atmosphere of the competition--the places to visit and the foods to taste in the queen city of the south.
From its wide array of go-to places and must-try foods, may it be natural tourist spots, such as beaches, promenade-worthy spaces like big parks and shopping malls, or mouth-watering dishes and delicacies, Cebu City certainly has got everyone covered.
Jan Renier Pasadilla, a swimming athlete from Pototan Comprehensive National High School in Iloilo, who was set to compete on the afternoon of July 11, Thursday, spent the remaining hours before his competition, with his fellow athletes from Western Visayas, shopping in the stores around Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
Pasadilla said he plans to go and travel around the city after Palaro.
When asked about the food he wanted to try, the 16-year-old Ilonggo athlete promptly responded “Lechon.” Lechon, a renowned dish from Cebu, involves roasting a whole pig until its skin is crispy and golden brown.
Cagayan Valley Taekwondo athletes Alleecia Joy Daquioag and Jellicque Nicquel Matias had one day left before their competition on Friday afternoon, July 12. Waiting for D-day, the young athletes spent their Thursday morning buying items in the souvenir stalls outside the sports center.
Having visited Cebu for the first time, the two athletes wish to visit the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño in Cebu City, which spans one kilometer away from their billeting quarter in San Nicolas Elementary School.
Meanwhile, Christian Dil Escalicas, a Para Games athletics player from Talisay Central Elementary School SPED Center in Agusan Del Norte and a first-time visitor to Cebu, shared with SunStar Cebu that he’s still deciding where to spend his free time after the games.
Despite this being his first visit to the city, participating in the Palaro has been an annual tradition for Escalicas for the past 11 years.
Just last year, the 22-year-old athlete clinched gold in the same sport in Marikina City.
With a smile, Escalicas said, “Depende ra ha akon sir asa dapit (It depends on where my sir suggests).”
Likewise, Jessica Villar of the Ilocos Region, who will be staying in Cebu for over a week, expressed gratitude for the accommodations at their billeting school, Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School.
“In our billeting, they treat us well. The food, our room, and even the restroom are all in good condition. Everything has been great so far,” Jessica said in Tagalog.
As a newcomer to both Palarong Pambansa and Cebu City, Jessica is eager to explore the city during her stay, despite not yet having decided where to go after the games.
Pasadilla, Daquioag, Matias, Escalicas, and Villar are just some of those athletes who are excited to get around the City after they compete in the national sporting event.
Since arriving last week, most, if not all of the student-athletes have spent their time in Cebu conditioning and preparing for their games, and the little spare time before the Palaro closing on July 16 is indeed a good opportunity for recreation.
After all, these student-athletes have been aiming for gold since the grassroots of Palarong Pambansa, which stems from the municipal level to the national level, let alone spending months of training before heading to Cebu. Hence, taking a breath without the weight of pressure and enjoying the other side of being an athlete is a well-deserved treat, win or lose. / JOVER VENCIO / UP TACLOBAN INTERN