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Davao City swimmer Paolo Miguel Lim Labanon fulfilled his promise to leave a lasting legacy as he competed in his final Palarong Pambansa, securing Davao Region's first two gold medals at the Cebu City Sports Center on Thursday, July 11.
Labanon, a senior high school student at Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao, dominated the secondary boys' 400-meter freestyle and 200m butterfly events.
"In my first event, the 400-meter freestyle, I was slightly nervous. I wondered if I would meet my time goal. After the swim, I was surprised to be only milliseconds short of the national record. I didn't expect to beat my personal best," he said in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Thursday evening.
The Dabawenyo ace clocked four minutes and 8.78 seconds in the 400m freestyle, outpacing Anton Paulo Dominick Della (4:17.36) of Ilocos Region and Aishel Cid Evangelista (4:18.55) of the National Capital Region (NCR). Della and Evangelista claimed the silver and bronze, respectively.
He thanked the Davao Region delegation for their full support and his school, MMCM. He also cited his late coach Jerry Kasim for imparting him with swimming knowledge and his current coach Jun Rodriguez, who resides in the Island Garden City of Samal but comes to Davao City to train him twice daily.
Labanon teamed with Neil Joaquin Tabar, Jabhari Dilangalen, and Pietro Dominic Requiza to win the bronze medal for the Davao Eagles in the secondary boys 4X50 medley relay.
Meanwhile, Department of Education (DepEd) Davao regional director Allan Farnazo, in a Viber interview, praised Labanon's golden efforts.
DepEd Davao City Division superintendent Reynante Solitario also echoed Farnazo's sentiments, saying, "This extraordinary feat of Davao Eagles particularly Davao City Division is a testament to the power of hard work, the unwavering support of our coaches and mentors, and the belief in the potential of our young athletes."
Labanon will compete in one relay event on Friday, July 12, and the other three individual events in the remaining days of the swimfest. He is set to receive P80,000 cash incentives for his two gold medals. DepEd Davao Region has allocated P25,000 for a Palaro gold while DepDed Davao City is adding P15,000.
Last year, he brought home four gold medals and two bronzes from the Marikina City Palarong Pambansa.
Pagayon's first
In athletics, Mary Jane Pagayon of Emar Human and Environmental College in Davao City salvaged a bronze medal in the secondary girls' 3,000-meter run. This marks her first-ever medal in the Palarong Pambansa, after returning empty-handed from the 2023 edition in Marikina City.
"Sobra nga kalipay, Ma'am, kay wala ko nag-expect nga makamedal ko ani nga event, maong pasalamat kaayo ko kay Lord kay sa second time nako nag Palaro, naka medal na gyud ko (I’m very happy because I didn't expect to get a medal in this event. I’m very thankful to God that in my second Palaro, I finally won a medal)," she told SunStar in a Messenger interview.
Pagayon finished in 10 minutes and 52.74 seconds (10:52.74), trailing behind gold medalist Aisa Paraase (10:27.36) of Central Visayas and silver winner Chrishia Mae Tajarros (10:52.72) of Eastern Visayas. She noted that her rivals were very strong and had prepared hard for the race.
The decorated Dabawenya runner said Paraase and Tajarros had a blazing start, making it difficult for her to catch up.
As she prepares to compete in the 1,500m and 4x400m heats on July 14 and the 800m on July 15, she emphasized the need to remain focused and adjust her pace to keep up with the leaders.
Meanwhile, Davao City's Carla Neisz Luardo bagged the silver medal in the elementary girls 400m run while Davao del Norte's Jessa Belinario secured a bronze in the secondary boys 400m. MLSA