Taguig holds Regatta sa Lawa boat race
The Taguig City government held the Regatta sa Lawa boat race to celebrate its first World Lake Day on Aug. 27.
The boat race was held in Laguna Lake in Barangay Lower Bicutan participated in by fisherfolk, athletes and residents.
Barangay Bagumbayan won as grand champion with a time of seven minutes and 39 seconds. Barangay Sta. Ana grabbed second place with 7:59, and Barangay New Lower Bicutan finished third with eight minutes.
A total of 15 barangays in Taguig took part in the rowing competition using five-man fiberglass boats—four paddlers and one drummer—made by the city’s own boatmakers.
The regatta is a tradition in Taguig that honors the city’s roots as a fishing community and celebrates the bounty of Laguna Lake.
“It’s such a special day for the City of Taguig dahil sine-celebrate natin ang Regatta, na bahagi ng tradisyon ng Taguig. As we all know, ang Taguig ay nagmula as a thriving fishing and farming community, kasama rin ang duck-raising industry. Natutuwa ako dahil nananatiling buhay ang tradisyon na ito sa tulong ng ating mga mangingisda. (It’s such a special day for the City of Taguig because we celebrate the Regatta, which is part of the Taguig tradition. As we all know, Taguig originated as a thriving fishing and farming community, including the duck-raising industry. I am glad that this tradition remains alive with the help of our fishermen), said Mayor Lani Cayetano.
Bagumbayan team captain Jomel Calindacion said they practiced daily after fishing.
“Maraming salamat po kay Mayor Lani at sa Taguig dahil nabibigyang-pansin ang mga mangingisda at ang kakayahan naming sumagwan at magpakita ng aming galing (Thank you very much to Mayor Lani and Taguig for paying attention to fishermen and our ability to row and show our skills),” he said.
Paddler and drummer Carmel Fufunan of the national team said, “We are grateful dahil open ang community dito, at willing kaming tumulong para maengganyo ang mga Taguigeño na subukan ang dragonboat. Maganda kasi ang shore at lake dito—perpektong lugar para makahikayat ng mga soon-to-be athletes (We are grateful because the community here is open, and we are willing to help encourage Taguigeños to try dragon boating. The shore and lake here are beautiful—a perfect place to encourage soon-to-be athletes).”
The race was organized by the Taguig Lake and River Management Office in partnership with the Sports Development Office and the local fisherfolk community.
It also featured an exhibition match by the Philippine Dragonboat Team and the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation (PCKDF).
