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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Pride and honor': Pinoy international surfing champ earns Speaker's admiration

'Pride and honor': Pinoy international surfing champ earns Speaker's admiration

Published Feb 20, 2023 07:02 pm

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday, Feb. 20, lauded Filipino ace surfer Rogelio “JayR” Esquivel, Jr. for bringing “pride and honor” to the country and showing that Filipinos “can compete against the best in the world” when he won in an international surfing competition in January.

Filipino surfer Rogelio “Jay-R” Esquivel, Jr. (right) pays a courtesy call to Speaker Martin Romualdez (left) after he won last month’s World Surfing League men’s longboard surfing competition in La Union. (Photo from Speaker’s office)

Esquivel won against Japanese rival Taka Inoue at the World Surfing League La Union International Pro Longboard Qualifying Series in Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan, La Union in January this year.

“With your victory, you have not only brought pride and honor to our country. Your remarkable feat has also shown that Filipinos can compete against the best in the world,” Romualdez told Esquivel, who paid him a courtesy call on Monday afternoon.

“Your skills and talent have propelled you to the top, and your determination and perseverance have set an example for others to follow. Keep up the good work, and may you continue to ride the waves of success,” the lawmaker added.

Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, who was present during the courtesy call, also congratulated the Pinoy champion surfer.

Esquivel is set to compete again this year in Bali, Indonesia and South Korea to qualify for the WSL World Tour.

The Speaker assured the athlete that all the House members are “very supportive of the sport.”

He noted how surfing helps encourage the youth to engage in sports and athletics, adding that the sport gives the country a positive exposure to athletes here and abroad.

Ilocos Sur 1st District Rep. Ronald Singson, who also accompanied Esquivel, said that surfing is now a major driver of the country’s tourism industry.

Esquivel is among the country’s champion surfers and was also a 2019 Southeast Asian longboard silver medallist.

He holds the record holder in the Philippine Surfing Championship Tour (PCST) and the Renextop Asian Surfing Tour (RAST) since 2018.

Related Tags

courtesy call Martin Romualdez Surfing House Speaker rogelio esquivel jr. world surfing league La Union
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