By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – “The spirit of regional
unity and solidarity is the most important and powerful ingredient for the
development of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region,” Mayor Romeo Pulmones said on
Wednesday in his welcome message during the opening program of the Zamboanga
Peninsula Athletic Association (ZPRAA) Meet 2015 at the city’s sports complex
here.
“We have to consolidate and unite under one spirit so
we will remember our tradition, our memories, our legacies and our respect for
human dignity in this most disturbing time of our political history,” he said.
The chief executive reminded the athletes that “it is
not a matter of winning, but how you play the game in the true spirit of
sportsmanship and fair play that counts most.”
Meanwhile, Zamboanga del Sur Governor Antonio H.
Cerilles in his keynote message challenged the athletes, coaches and technical
officials to do their best, as he lamented that in last year’s Palarong
Pambansa in Laguna, region came home with no gold medal in all the events it
participated.
“This is a challenge for all of us, from nothing to
something,” Cerilles said, reminding the sports and technical officials to be
fair in order to select “the best among the best among the athletes in the
region.”
Anchored on the theme, “ZAMPEN: Go in Unity and
Solidarity for Excellence,” eight athletic delegations from the five cities of
Isabela, Dapitan, Dipolog, Zamboanga and Pagadian, and the three provinces of
Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay and Zamboanga del Sur with almost six
thousand athletes, coaches, chaperons and other officials came to participate
in this year’s regional athletic competitions.