The city government’s ambition to turn Puerto Princesa into a sports tourism capital in the Philippines received a major boost Friday as Mayor Lucilo Bayron signed an agreement with the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation (PCKDF) to stage in November the 2nd Puerto Princesa International Dragon Boat Festival.
At City Hall on July 7, Mayor Lucilo Bayron and PCKDF President Leonora Escollante officially signed the agreement, demonstrating their dedication to hosting the dragon boat festival.
“Our objective is to establish Puerto Princesa as a capital of sports tourism, and this dragon boat festival is part of our wider sports tourism program. We anticipate a vibrant economy as we welcome numerous participants to the event,” he explained.
Bayron expressed confidence that the event would attract participants from various provinces and even other countries, eager to engage in the thrilling water sports competition.
In addition, he stated that the city has a series of sports events scheduled before the year concludes, including the World Table Tennis Championship in October and the Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa on November 12.
Furthermore, Bayron expressed the city’s intention to leverage these sports events to enhance its reputation as an attractive destination for sports enthusiasts.
Escollante said festival is set to take place from November 17 to 19 at Puerto Princesa Bay, with approximately 10 to 12 dragon boat teams competing.
“We will actively involve our local dragon boat players and may even offer a clinic for them. As a result, there will be separate categories for local participants and international paddlers,” Escollante stated.
According to Escollante, Puerto Princesa will host the international dragon boat festival for the second time this year. In 2017, the city hosted its first local festival, and in 2018, it hosted its first international event.
