ILAGAN CITY, Isabela—The ceremonial torch to mark start the 12th SEA Youth Athletics Championships on Sunday is seated atop a 30-foot corn hub replica symbolizing this city’s identity as the Corn Capital of the Philippines.
Administrative Order No. 9 issued by the agriculture department on Aug. 6, 2015 officially recognized the City of Ilagan as the ‘corn capital’ of the Philippines. Ilagan’s closest rival in the top spot in corn production is the town of Banga in South Cotabato.
Ilagan’s corn output accounts for 2.17 percent of the national harvest, AO No. 9 acknowledged.
Data from the Office of the City Agriculturist officially revealed that Ilagan City has 17,565 hectares of its agricultural area planted with several varieties of corn. However, latest drone photographs indicate that the total area planted this season may have reached 28,000 hectares based on a study done by the World Wildlife Fund.
The indigenous Ybanag corn farmers call themselves ‘Mammangi’ in the dialect. Ilagan holds its Mammangi festival every last week of May.
About a hundred athletes from countries participating in the SEA Youth Athletics Championships such as Sri Lanka, South Korea, Malaysia (Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia teams), Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Guam, and Brunei arrived here last Friday and Saturday in time for the Sunday opening ceremonies. Filipino nationals will compete under the team Philippines-Ilagan City.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III who is a native of Ilagan, Patafa president Philip Ela Juico, PSC chairman Butch Ramirez, and Isabela Governor Faustino G. Dy III were among the top personalities invited to grace the opening ceremonies.
Mayor Evelyn Diaz said the city has been prepared for these events. “we look forward to set a good example, that the Philippines could host international events even outside of Manila, and for our visitors to see the beauty of our locality.”
“Eventually, for the accommodation of all the delegates, the hotels, food are already. All athletes, coaches, officials of Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association [Patafa] will be billeted in all hotels,” Diaz stressed.
City Councilor Jayvee Diaz, chairman of the Committee on Sports Development and the spokesperson of the events, said the Patafa had certified that the sports facilities met international standards, qualifying them to host the events.
“We are now ready for the Southeast Asia Youth Athletics Championship and the 2017 Ayala Philippine National Open Invitational Athletics Championships on March 27 to 29 and April 2 respectively,” Diaz added.
Meanwhile, Councilor Antonio Montreal Jr. said over a hundred police have already been deployed to secure the venue of the events, including the hotels of the foreign delegates.
“Police officers in Nueva Vizcaya will secure the entry of the athletes who will travel by land. while the Armed Forces of the Philippines will also be deploying armed soldiers as contingency measures and K-9 units were also deployed. The airports of Tuguegarao and Cauayan have already set security measures too,” Montreal added.
Both events are organized by the PATAFA, which said this is its first time to host international sports events outside Metro Manila.
While the city had suffered the wrath of Super Typhoon “Lawin” (international name: Haima) on October last year, Mayor Diaz said they immediately passed for resolution to rehabilitate the sports facilities months before the events.
“We know how our city and province suffered from Typhoon Lawin, that was very strong and many of our facilities were destroyed. And in weeks, we went full force to do magic and to rehabilitate the facilities,” Diaz said, adding the city has spent over P25 million for hosting the event.
Diaz said these hosting brought people in Ilagan together to show the hospitality of Filipinos.
The PATAFA had confirmed the attendance of athletes from Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Sabah Malaysia, Sabah Kinabalu, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, and the Philippines.
Diaz said the province of Isabela and neighboring municipalities have also “wholeheartedly” gave their support for the events.
Diaz said one of the reasons their city was chosen was because they were awarded the Most Child-friendly Component City by President Rodrigo Duterte.