Several parents and athletes who will not be included in the MIMAROPA Regional Athletic Association Meet 2026, set to be held in Mindoro this March, sought help from the Sangguniang Panlungsod on January 12.
During the City Council session, Councilor Luis Marcaida III said the matter was raised to him by concerned parents and athletes, prompting him to ask for clarification on the selection process for athletes who will represent the city in the upcoming competition, as well as the reasons behind the exclusions, from officials of the City Department of Education.
Marcaida said he immediately coordinated with the City Sports Office but was told that the issue does not fall under the city’s jurisdiction since the MIMAROPA RAA Meet is an activity under the Department of Education.
He added that the matter had already been discussed at the Local School Board, where the lack of funds was cited as the reason.
“Napag-usapan yata ito sa LSB meeting at ako ay naniniwala na makatutulong si Konsehal Victor [Oliveros] sa pagpapaliwanag kung bakit hindi makakasama ‘yung koponan ng volleyball ng elementary, boys and girls kasi nga, may kakulangan doon sa pondo sa Special Education Fund,” Marcaida said.
Jeslyn Amador of the City DepEd said that while they would want to include all athletes in the Mindoro competition, their funds are not sufficient.
She explained that their Special Education Fund dropped this year to just over ₱58 million, compared with ₱75 million last year.
Amador said more than 30 percent of their SEF has already been allocated to the sports development program for 2026, making it impossible to send a larger delegation.
She added that the City DepEd also has several priority projects and programs that require funding.
“Almost 30.4% na ang sa sports, masyadong malaki na in terms of percentage sa total ₱58 million budget namin for the 2026. Dapat ang priority natin ay more on the construction, rehabilitation, and repairs of classrooms and other facilities of DepEd,” Amador told the City Council.
She said they immediately informed coaches and team managers of the decision, who were expected to relay the information to their athletes and parents.
However, parents who attended the session said they were not aware of any such decision and had hoped their children would compete, especially after winning championships in the recent City Meet.
“Bilang mga magulang, nasasaktan din ako dahil kaming mga magulang ay hindi na-inform na walang budget ang aming mga anak kapag sila ay nakapasok. Gustuhin man namin ay hindi namin kaya, kaya humihingi kami ng tulong dito sa inyo,” said one parent who addressed the City Council.
DepEd officials said there is nothing more that can be done for this year, as there is no available source for the estimated ₱27,000 needed per athlete, and the proposed budget has already been approved.
Vice Mayor Jimbo Maristela suggested that the City DepEd explore the possibility of coordinating with the Philippine Navy to use a naval vessel to transport the Puerto Princesa delegation.
He said this could help reduce costs and allow more athletes to participate in the competition.
Councilor Victor Oliveros, for his part, said he would closely monitor the issue to ensure that Puerto Princesa City can send a “full delegation” to regional athletic meets in the coming years.
