Most of the athletes and officials representing the Western Visayas region left for Manila yesterday, a week before the opening of the 2012 Palarong Pambansa set on May 6 – 12 in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

With the contingent are the 232 athletes, 47 coaches and chaperones, 35 trainors, and 21 delegation officials from Negros Occidental.

Except for the elementary basketball boys’ squad, who left ahead for a series of tune up games in Manila, all teams that will compete under the banner of Region VI sailed off yesterday on board the Negros Navigation M/V St. Michael, Negros Occidental DepEd Provincial Sports head Romeo Sison said.

The delegation is expected to arrive in Manila today at 9 a.m. and buses bound for Lingayen will take them from the port straight to San Carlos Central School II in Lingayen where they will stay until May 12, he said.

Arriving a week before the start of the competition will give the athletes time to familiarize themselves with the place, Sison said, adding that they will have an ocular inspection of the playing venues on May 2.

An advance party was sent by Region VI on April 24 to check on the facilities of the billeting area, specially the provisions for comfort rooms, he said.

Among those who left yesterday were the high school boys and girls basketball teams composed of players from Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Aklan and Capiz.

The WNU junior basketball team forms the nucleus of the secondary boys’ squad with reinforcements from UNO-R, USLS, Iloilo and Aklan, while the girls’ team is mainly composed of players from the regional champion squad from Iloilo.

Members of the WV secondary basketball boys team are: Miguel Guimela, Renz David Solomon, John Daniel Javelosa, Joseu Segumpan, Jude Fil Junto, Kraniel Villona, and Kevyn Parra from WNU; John Lorenz Toral from UNO-Recoletos; Giovanne Laguyo from La Salle; Marvin John Gaitan and Erol Sumaba from Iloilo, and Alain Roldan from Aklan. Head coach is Dennis Tumayan from WNU.

Tapped the join the WV girls’ basketball team are UNO-Rians Christine Marie Allermo and Clarice Agape Aujero, St. Joseph’s School’s Trixie Marie Antiquiera, and Melchar Jerez from Ramon Torres National High School.

Their teammates from Iloilo are Antoniette Franco, Myra Osano, Chesca Tagacay, Ma. Fe Acero, Precious Angel Arellado, Camille Basa, and JG Jahleil Calaor.

Meanwhile, Executive Assistant to the Governor for Sports Angel Verdeflor yesterday said Gov. Alfredo Marañon will join the delegation in Lingayen on May 6 and will attend the May 7 opening ceremony with President Benigno Aquino III as guest speaker.

Verdeflor said the provincial government is also sending a team from its Information Office, headed by Karen Dinsay, to document the event in Pangasinan to be used for Negros Occidental’s bid to host the 2013 Palaro.*NAB

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