Marawi City Meet kicks off today

ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL

December 5, 2018

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur: The 2018 Palarong Panlungsod ng Marawi finally kicked off on Wednesday with thousands of athletes, coaches, parents, well-wishers and spectators witnessing the opening program at the Mindanao State University Sports Complex here.

The Palaro is a yearly city meet of all elementary and secondary schools in the city under the auspices of the Marawi City Division (MCD) of the Department of Education-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM). 

MCD superintendent Pharida Lamping Sansarona in her opening remark thanked everyone for attending the occasion even as she said the event's theme "Sports: An Avenue for Peace, Unity, Resilience and Progressive Bangsamoro" is just very timely for what happened in Marawi City. 

"We are now here because we show our unity and that in unity there is peace because if there is no peace in the city of Marawi, we cannot hold a very big activity like this," said Sansarona. 

"Our resilience is proven because now bumabangon na po ang Marawi, hindi lang bumabangon kung hindi nakabangon na sa pamumuno ng ating mahal na alkalde," she said. "Through all these, we can have a progressive Bangsamoro which is soon to take place, in sha Allah."

Acknowledging the presence of the MCD three Assistant Schools Division Superintendents (ASDS) of Marawi City division, Sansarona said MCD is the only schools division of the entire ARMM region that has three ASDS which manifested that they are all capable in facing the educational improvement and development of their learners.

The three ASDS are Anna Zenaida Alonto for elementary, Dr. Sadrodin Diron for secondary and Dr. Zenaida Diron Ampuan for Senior High School.

Sansarona said that in this competition, we will be identifying our athletes who will be representing the Marawi City Division in the Palaro ARMMA next year whose venue is yet to be identified. 

She said that if not of what happened to Marawi, "the good city mayor is planning to vie to be a host of the Palarong ARMAA." She then hoped that the city can host the regional palaro next year or the year after.

She expressed appreciation and recognition to the parents and the teachers for their cooperation without which the ongoing palaro would not have been a success.

Mayor Majul U. Gandamra was the guest speaker during the opening program while Assemblyman AbdulRashid Rolan "Fiat" Macarambon will be the guest speaker on the closing ceremony. (RSP)