Puerto Princesa—Seventeen marks were set at the close of the Batang Pinoy national championships in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan although no meet records were established in athletics.
Promising youngsters Aubrey Tom of Cainta Rizal, Liaa Margarette Amoguis of Davao City and Roz Ciaralene Encarnacion of Laguna Province took credit for most the records that were set.
Aubrey, who will see action in the coming season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, claimed records in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 200m individual medley events in the 12-and-under girls division.
According to Philippine Swimming Inc. officials, the 12-year-old Tom broke the last two oldest Batang Pinoy national records of Heidi Gem Ong in the 50m and 100m freestyle.
Ong used to hold the records which were set 18 years ago at the 2001 Batang Pinoy National Championships in Bacolod.
Amoguis, who is from Davao City, broke Jasmine Mojdeh’s 400m IM record of 5:37.70 in the 12-and-under Division with her new record time of 5:24.26.
The 200m IM and 200m butterfly records, also belong to Amoguis, even if she placed second to Tom in the 200m IM and Renavive Rontesa Subida in the 200m butterfly events.
Subida now owns the 12-and-under girls record of the 200m butterfly event with a time of 2:31.45.
Both Subida and Amoguis shattered Mojdeh’s 2:32.20 record.
Encarnacion, who is from the Laguna Province, broke all the breaststroke records in events of the 13-15 girls division.
This includes the 50m and 200m breaststroke marks.
Encarnacion also erased the 100m breaststroke record while placing second to Puerto Princesa’s Mary Sophia Manantan. Manantan now holds the record for both the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
Puerto Princesa was host to a major sporting event for the first time in 11 years with the holding of the Batang Pinoy.
The city of Puerto Princesa invested time, effort and money to improve the facilities that were first built when the 2008 Palarong Pambansa was held here.
Mayor Lucio Bayron said he envisioned improving the playing venues, and not necessarily for hosting, but for the use of the people of Puerto Princesa ever since he took office in 2013.
Residents have since been able to use the basketball and volleyball courts, and use the track oval for walking, jogging and zumba routines.