IN LINE with the 81st Charter Day celebration of Iloilo City, the local government will host the 2018 National DoubleDragon Boat Race Championship on Aug. 18 at the Iloilo River along Muelle Loney Street.
The annual dragon boat race is a great opportunity to showcase the sports tourism, economic and environmental potentials of the Iloilo River, Mayor Jose Espinosa III said.
Fifteen teams are participating in this yearâs edition, including last yearâs champion Army Dragon Warriors, two-time champion Philippine Coast Guard, Boracay All-Stars, Bohol Paddlers Association, Nami Spr Ati Boracay, and Triton.
âIloilo City welcomes this opportunity to host this dragon boat race,â Espinosa said. âWe also want to show that Iloilo River is a good venue for water sports, recreational activities and entertainment, owing to our collective efforts to rehabilitate and develop it.â
Also competing are Rowers Club Philippines, Speed Devilz, One Piece Drakon Sangres, Cebu Fireblade, Team Bakunawa Ilagan, Dumaguete Yellowfins, Ampphi Davao, Davao Wave Warriors DBT, and John B Lacson Iloilo Komodo Dragon.
The annual dragon boat race started as the âSen. Franklin Drilon Cup Dragon Boat Raceâ in 2012 before DoubleDragon Properties Corp. took over the organization of the event in 2014.
âWe intend to grow this event year by year by inviting more dragon boat teams to go to Iloilo and compete in this race,â said DoubleDragon chairman and chief executive officer Injap Sia.
âThis event is envisioned to promote Iloilo City as a tourism destination, which will further stimulate local economic growth not only in Iloilo but the whole of Panay Island,â Sia added./PN
