CEBU CITY – Dapitan City recently hosted an arnis tournament that gathered over 100 top stick-fighters from Mindanao.
OVER 100 arnis fighters from Mindanao participate in the 1st Mayor Seth Frederick P. Jalosjos Handuraw Invitational Arnis Tournament in Dapitan City. (Contributed photo)
The holding of the 1st Mayor Seth Frederick P. Jalosjos Handuraw Invitational Arnis Tournament was part of the annual celebration of Handuraw, which seeks to remember the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal in Dapitan.
“This martial art was among the many sports activities taught by Dr. Jose Rizal to his students during his four-year stay here in Dapitan with the cardinal principle to respect one's opponent as a person and as a fighter and as a sportsman. It also teaches to remember that an opponent is a human being with dignity as one has and worthy of respect,” said city tourism officer Apple Marie Agolong.
Agolong added that the city worked hard to mount the tournament as Dapitan Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos pushes for heritage and sports tourism in the city.
The staging of the tournament at the Dapitan City Cultural and Sports Center from December 28 to 30 was also made possible through the efforts of Cris Hamoy, head coach of the PARAK SBB Arnis team of Dapitan.
The tournament was also supported by the Philippine Eskrima Kali Arnis Federation with its Vice President for Mindanao Grandmaster Efren Apresto gracing the event.
Arnis was declared as the country’s national sport through Republic Act 9850 signed by President Gloria M. Arroyo on December 11, 2009.
The indigenous people of the Philippines who used an assorted range of weaponry for combat and self-defense developed this kind of martial art and sport which involved rattan, swords, daggers, and spears encompassing both simple impact and edged weapons.
Male and female arnisadors competed in the live stick and full contact categories.
Sultan Kudarat Arnis Team was declared champion after finishing with 19 gold medals, seven silvers, and two bronzes.
Odtac-Famaf wound up second with 12 golds, 12 silvers, and 10 bronzes, while Oroquieta City Arnis Team ranked third with eight golds, five silvers, and three bronzes.
Dapitan Dapcat-Famaf landed fourth with a harvest of five golds, four silvers, and nine bronzes.
Ozcat-Famaf Arnis Team was fifth with three golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. DMA JRMSU was sixth with two silvers and two bronzes while Dapitan Parak SBB took the seventh spot with five bronzes.