ILOILO City – As the city and the rest of the country ease restrictions in a bid to move out of the COVID-19 era, live events are also slowly gaining momentum. One such event aimed to encourage the recovery and development of water-based sports, particularly the sport of dragon boating, will be held this coming weekend.
Paddle Up! Level Up! A Free Dragon Boat Clinic is organized by the Iloilo Paddlers Club (IPAD), the pioneering Dragon Boat Team in the city.
The event, in partnership with the Iloilo City Government and Iloilo City Sports Development Division, will be held on April 23-24, Saturday at 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Iloilo Esplanade Extension 1 (Skate Park).
Supported by local companies and brands, the event targets to teach interested individuals, out-of-school youths, potential players, and sporting enthusiasts the basics of dragon boat sports. Group dynamic exercises, demos and lectures on the rudiments of dragon boating, and actual paddling are also some of the activities for the 2-day event.
Founded on June 27, 2019, IPAD currently has over 50 active members coming from diverse backgrounds and interests. Aside from inclusivity, one of the group’s objectives is to make Dragon Boating a mainstream sport not just in the city, but in the region as well, and this can be achieved by consistently mounting events such as dragon boat clinics, friendly boat races, and other similar activities.
IPAD is not only all about promoting the sport of dragon boating, it also aims to highlight the Iloilo River as a tourism destination and as a venue for sports, wellness, and recreation. And as a way of giving back to its home and playground, IPAD’s advocacy is to help protect the river and enjoin the Ilonggo community to do the same.
Paddle Up! Level Up! A Free Dragon Boat Clinic is in partnership with the Iloilo City Government and Iloilo City Sports Development Division and supported by the following sponsors: More Power; Hotel del Rio; Iloilo Convention Center; Muelle Deli and Restaurant; Xane Media Group; Black Note; Papermints; La Carmela de Boracay; Pepsi; Star Corned Beef; JS Layson, Co., Inc.; Mags Boutique; Pizza Rapido; Artivism. Special Thanks to: Chef Miner del Mundo and Dr. Rollin Tabuena.
Official Marketing Partner: Adworx; Official Media Partners: Panay News, ABS-CBN, and Bombo Radyo Iloilo./PN
