DUMAGUETE City, long known for producing elite archers in the Philippines, has once again proven why it is considered a stronghold of the sport.
Fourteen-year-old Davayn Philip Mason, a rising star from this coastal city in Central Visayas, emerged as the top performer for the Philippine archery team at the World Archery Youth Championships in Winnipeg, Canada.
Seeded 52nd in the Recurve U18 Men’s division, Mason reached the Round of 32 after back-to-back victories, first outlasting Colombia’s Nicolas Gomez Meneses in a nerve-wracking shoot-off, 6-5 (10-9), before pulling off a stunning upset over 13th seed Pawar Aditya Shivprasad of India, 6-4.
Earlier in the 72-arrow qualification round, Mason tallied 624 points, securing 52nd place out of 83 competitors. This impressive run is no surprise to those who know Mason’s pedigree.
The Dumaguete native is a leg winner in the World Archery Philippines National Open and a multi-gold medalist in the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy, cementing his status as one of the country’s most promising young archers.
His performance continues Dumaguete’s tradition of excellence in archery—a city that has consistently nurtured athletes capable of competing on the world stage.
Dumaguete is known as a hub for archery, producing many national and international champions. Among them are the Bidaure sisters, Pia Elizabeth Angela and Gabrielle Monica, and Phoebe Nicole Amistoso, who won gold for the Philippines in the 2022 SEA Games Women’s Team Recurve event.
Naina Dominique Tagle has also excelled in national tournaments like the Palarong Pambansa. Other notable names include Jennifer Dy Chan, an Olympian in 2000, and Karl Kristian Mari, a record-setting archer.
While Mason advanced deep into the competition, teammates Edward Justin Tanco and Marco Angelo Villanueva were eliminated in the first round by opponents from New Zealand and India, respectively.
In other events, Lester Datiles of Cagayan de Oro progressed to the second round of the Men’s U21 category, while compound archers Alon Jucutan, Gwyneth Garcia, and Kristine Ibag are set to compete in their U21 individual matches.
