By Pigeon M. Lobien
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Nearly 40 athletes, coaches, sportsmen and institutions are to be honored in the first Cordillera Media Sports Awards and Newsmen Achievement Recognition in Sports on July 13 at the Baguio Country Club.
Leading the awardees are Southeast Asian Games double medalists Justin Kobe Macario and Islay Erika Bomogao as 36 individuals will be given citation by the Amianan Balita Ngayon and the Media for Sports Development.
The two earned a gold and bronze medals in the biennial competitions in Bangkok, Thailand held in December last year.
Macario was the country’s first gold medalist when he ruled the men’s poomsae competition before he joined two Filipino teammates to take the bronze medal in team poomsae.
Bomogao earned a bronze medal in wai kru before ruling the combat side’s 45 kilogram.
The two will be joined by fellow SEAG gold medalists in Jones Llabres Inso (men’s taijiquan/taijijian), Hussein Lorana (800 meters run) and Zyra Bon-as in kickboxing (48 kg. women’s low kick), as well as Joshua Pacio, who retained his ONE Championship strawweight title by beating Jared Brooks to conclude their trilogy.
SEAG 2025 silver medalist in kickboxing men’s 57 kg. light kick Whinny Bayawon will be among those recognized in the event backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, BCC and Hotel, Restaurant Association of Baguio.
Other SEAG 2025 medalist who will be re cognized are: Kalinga’s Hergie Bacyadan (boxing), Abra’s Kurt Barbosa (taekwondo – kroyugi) and Renalyn Dacquel (kickboxing), Mariane Mariano (jiujitsu), Godwin Langbayan (jiujitsu), Jean Claude Saclag, Gina Iniong Araos and Denzel John Alipio in mixed martial arts, Krisna Malecdan (wushu women’s duilian barehanded), Xander Alipio (wushu sanda), Gerard Loy (shooting – men’s open division), Jomar Balangui (kickboxing – men’s 60 kg.), Jason Baucas (wrestling men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg.) and Josh Ramos (aquathlon all men relay).
Young athletes who made names in the national and international competitions include Lyre Ngina (muay Thai), National Master Mhage Sebastian in chess and Inigo Anton (car racing). Honored coaches will be Bryan Olod (kickboxing), Edzel Ngina and Billy Alumno (muay Thai), husband-wife tandem Jet and Lou Ann Ramos (triathlon), Ariston Bucalan (football), Mark Sangiao (MMA), Eduard Folayang (MMA).
Boxing promoter Brico Santig will be given citation also in the awards backed by the Municipality of La Trinidad, the Association of Barangay Council, councilors Peter Fianza and Maximo Edwin, Jr., the Baguio Water District, the Rotary Club of Summer Capital and Team Timmy.
The first three recipients of the NARS will be Tony Candelaria for wushu, two-time Olympian Hector Begeo and Cordillera Career Development College founder James Malaya.
The three institutions to be honored in the NARS are the Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament for celebrating its 75th year in November and December last year, the Baguio Center Mall Non-Master Chess Tournament and the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League.
