A year after falling short of the podium in 400-meter hurdles, Christy Mel Rose Siva stormed back Wednesday night and conquered both the rain and the field to capture gold for Davao Region at the 2026 Palarong Pambansa.
Rain poured over the track on May 27, turning the secondary girls’ 400-meter hurdles final into a dangerous test of speed, balance, and nerve at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Governor D.O. Plaza Sports Complex.
But the storm never rattled Siva.
The 15-year-old runner from Davao Occidental powered through the slippery conditions and cleared every hurdle with composure to seize the gold medal in one minute and 2.53 seconds.
Althea Margarette Sebumit of Eastern Visayas settled for silver in 1:03.74, while Chardoney de Dios of the National Academy of Sports claimed bronze in 1:03.86.
Siva attacked the race despite the heavy rain that soaked the track and raised the risk of crashing into the hurdles.
“Medyo challenging po talaga yung final namin kasi kailangan po naming labanan ang ulan (The final was really challenging because we had to battle the rain),” Siva told SunStar Davao in a Messenger interview.
The Grade 10 student from Sta. Maria Institute Inc. said she stayed calm because of the trust and support she received from her teammates and coaches.
“Wala nako nakulbaan kay daghan man nisalig sa ako (I stopped feeling nervous because many people believed in me),” she said.
Siva admitted she leaned on faith as she navigated the wet track. “Nisalig ra gyud ko sa akong sarili ug sa guidance ni Papa God (I just trusted myself and God’s guidance),” she added.
The victory capped years of hard work for the young hurdler, who once spent her elementary days playing badminton before athletics changed her direction.
Siva said a teacher first noticed her potential during a school athletics tryout.
“Nalingaw man kog tan-aw sa ila og dagan, mao to niapil ko (I enjoyed watching them run, so I joined the tryout),” she said. (I enjoyed watching them run, so I joined the tryout)."
Her coaches later convinced her to focus on track and field, believing she could shine more in athletics than in badminton.
Since then, Siva trained relentlessly while balancing school and competition. She began competing in athletics at age nine and entered this year’s Palaro determined to improve on her previous campaign.
Last year, Siva captured a silver medal in the girls’ 4x400-meter relay during the Palarong Pambansa in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
This year, she returned stronger and more confident after nearly a year of preparation.
“Yes po, kasi I trained almost one year for this season,” she said when asked if she expected to win gold.
Siva credited her parents, Romie D. Siva, a barangay tanod, and Mildred P. Siva, an overseas Filipino worker, for supporting her journey.
The hurdler dedicated her gold medal to God, her family, coaches, teammates, and friends who continued believing in her even from afar.
“Worth it yung lahat ng support niyo sa akin (All your support for me was worth it),” she said.
Now on top of the national podium, Siva hopes to earn more medals in the 400-meter run and 400-meter hurdles and someday wear the colors of the Philippine team.
Her dream, she said, is simple.
“Mas maging mahusay pa na manlalaro po in the future (I want to become an even better athlete in the future),” she said. MLSA WITH REPORTS FROM LEAN CARMIL TOCMO/UM, SUNSTAR INTERN