DAVAO CITY, May 12, 2019 – New records were set once again in the 62nd edition of the Palarong Pambansa.

Tankers make waves

In swimming, 12-year-old Alexis Cabayaran from Silay City clocked 2:15.76, besting National Capital Region’s (NCR) Imee Joyce Saavedra (2:16.72 in 2014) to set a new record and bring home the gold in the 200-meter freestyle for elementary girls. Central Luzon’s Triza Tabamo (2:21.36) and Davao’s Liaa Amoguis (2:22.58) came in second and third, respectively.
Records were also broken on Wednesday with NCR’s Xiandi Chua leading the charge after resetting two meet marks in secondary girls – swimming event at the University of Mindanao pool.

Chua topped her class once again by clinching the 200-meter breaststroke and 200-meter individual medley in record-breaking style.
Chua, 17, clocked 2:43.08 seconds to eclipse the 200-meter breaststroke mark of 2:46.36 posted by NCR’s Thanya Dela Cruz in Vigan, Ilocos Sur last year, then swam 2:23.86 to surpass the 11-year-old 200-meter individual medley record of 2:25.66 held by Althea Lim since 1998.

Also making a splash was Chua’s teammate Philip Joaquin Santos, who timed 2:12.58 to break his own secondary boys 200-meter individual medley record of 2:13.05 last year. CALABARZON’s Jordan Ken Lobos also ruled the secondary boys breaststroke in 2:26.77 to crush the 2018 mark of 2:27.66 held by NCR’s Mark Rotoni.

The 200-meter medley relay team composed of Central Luzon’s Trixie Ortiguera, Jasmine Faye Dela Cruz, Franchesca Sarmiento, and Triza Tabamo made a splash by finishing 2:13.41, which is 11 milliseconds ahead of the 2013 record by the NCR team.

Other record breakers for swimming include: NCR’s Michaela Jasmine Mojde who clocked in 2:22.69 for 200-meter butterfly stroke; NCR’s team consists of Samantha Therese Coronel, Mojde, Chua, and Dela Cruz, who recorded 4:32.49 for 400-meter medley relay; Davao’s Juliana Marien Villanueva who clocked in 9:32.77 for 800-meter freestyle; NCR’s Miguel Barreto with 57:30 for 100-meter freestyle; NCR’s Rian Marco Tirol who clocked in 1:06.09 for 100-meter breaststroke; MIMAROPA’s Mary Sophia Manantan who finished 1:16.56 for 100-meter breaststroke; and NCR’s Chua with Hannah Sanchez, Althea Michel Baluyut, and Camille Lauren Buico who clocked in 4:05.19 for 400-meter freestyle relay.

Athletics champions emerge
At the University of Mindanao-Matina Campus, Northern Mindanao’s John Mike Lera ended up setting a new record in the long jump secondary boys of the 2019 Palarong Pambansa—one of the rare times a silver medal outweighed a gold.

Lera, who hails from Oroquieta City, registered 7.39 meters, which was good for only a silver medal. That distance, though, leapfrogged the previous mark set by Cagayan Valley bet Julian Reem Fuentes (7.26 meters) in 2012.

In the elementary long jump, Hazel Domocum of SOCCSKSARGEN broke a record after setting a distance of 5.08 meters to win the gold. That surpassed the 5.07-meter record held by Alyssa Andrade.

Trexie Dela Torre of Western Visayas and Marvlyn Canion of Central Luzon shattered old marks in the long jump – secondary girls.
Dela Torre topped an old record by coming up with a distance of 5.77 meters to seize the gold, while silver medalist Canion had 5.75 meters.

In addition, Ilocos Region’s Kent Brian Celeste posted 2.02 meters to smash his own 2018 mark of 1.99 meters in the high jump.
Central Luzon’s Jerry Vasquez shattered the 21-year-old mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase secondary boys with a time of 9:35.20, five minutes better than the 1998 mark of Crisanto Canillo (9:41.70).

CALABARZON’s Gennah Malapit also debuted at the meet with a bang after ruling the javelin throw elementary girls with a heave of 46.57 meters on her first attempt, smashing Avegail Beliran’s 2018 mark of 41.46 meters.

Other record breakers for athletics include Western Visayas’ Jamela De Asis who recorded 12.3 meters for shot put and Alfrenze Braza with 4:01.95 for 1,500 meters; Bicol’s Jasmin Bombita with 12.46 meters for triple jump; and CALABARZON’s team consists of Alhyryan Labita, Jan Rey Gallano, Jason Jabol, and Anthony Bacle Jr. who recorded 3:21.66 for the 4 x 400-meter relay.

Archers shoot for new records

In archery, meanwhile, Nicole Marie Manalac of the NCR set a new record in the 40-meter secondary girls with 331 points, surpassing Phoebe Nicole Amistoso’s 326 points in 2018.

Jason Emmanuel Feliciano of Ilocos Region also set a new record in the 70-meter event with 322 points, and in the Single Fita event with 1,304 points. Finally, Sean Jonathan Tanco of NCR shattered records in the 50-meter event with 316 points.

To check the complete results and record breakers in this year’s national sporting event, you may visit https://www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfEducation.PH/, www.deped.gov.ph, and https://twitter.com/DepEd_PH.

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