BM Lammawin urges stronger sports coordination: “Medyo kurang ti action on this... we are always at the bottom nu competition, except for few”

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Kalinga Board Member Camilo Lammawin Jr. has called for stronger coordination among provincial government offices involved in sports programs, saying greater support is needed to improve the province’s performance in athletic competitions.

Lammawin raised the concern during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on September 22 after a representative of the Kalinga Taekwondo Academy (KTA) sought a fair selection process for athletes who will represent the province in the upcoming Batang Pinoy.

Lammawin said provincial offices involved in sports should work more closely to provide better support to athletes and strengthen Kalinga’s overall sports program.

“We should also coordinate with offices in the province concerning sports kasi medyo nga kurang ti action tayo on this. Tani we are always at the bottom nu kastoy nga competition, except for the few exceptionally talented and skilled nga athletes tayo,” Lammawin said.

He cited Apayao as an example of a province whose sports program Kalinga could examine as it works to improve its own system of supporting athletes.

“Unlike Apayao, napintas ti sports program da ngay,” he added.

Lammawin’s remarks came after KTA representative Pugal raised concerns over the selection of athletes for the Kalinga delegation to the Batang Pinoy.

Pugal said athletes based in Tabuk City were being included in the provincial delegation, which he said could limit opportunities for athletes from other municipalities who have previously represented Kalinga in regional and national competitions.

He proposed holding a tryout among eligible provincial athletes to give them an opportunity to compete for available slots and be assessed based on their performance.

“Ang purpose ko lang po sana sir is magkaroon nga proper na procedure, for example sir may tryout then yong mga included po sir ay mga player po ng province. Para yong deserving slots po sana is sila po sana kukuha na yong iba isa nasa sulok-sulok ng province,” Pugal said.

Pugal said the KTA is willing to conduct the tryout and has previously involved officials from outside Kalinga in its selection activities to help ensure an objective assessment of athletes.

“Dun sa players namin meron naman po kaming enough number of players and puwede po kami magconduct ng try out para maidentify po natin yong mga deserving sa slots,” he said.

He also requested a provincial endorsement for the selected athletes so their names could be formally submitted to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as representatives of Kalinga.

Lammawin told Pugal to submit the complete list of selected athletes to the Office of the SP Secretary for endorsement to the PSC.

“You can submit the complete list of the names of those who will represent the province, submit nalang kay secretary for us to endorse to PSC that this is the official team of the province,” Lammawin said.

The provincial board granted the request for the endorsement process, with the list of selected athletes to be submitted to the SP Secretary for appropriate action.

Beyond athlete selection

For Lammawin, the discussion on the Batang Pinoy delegation also highlighted the need to look beyond the selection of athletes and strengthen the province’s overall sports support system.

His call for closer coordination among offices points to the need for a more coordinated approach to athlete development, training and participation in competitions.

The 2026 Batang Pinoy National Finals is scheduled in Bacolod City from December 12 to 18, providing young athletes from across the country an opportunity to compete at the national level.

With Kalinga preparing its delegation, Lammawin said stronger coordination among offices involved in sports is necessary to provide athletes with better support and help improve the province’s performance in future competitions.