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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech & Digital News
MANILA (SDN) — Athletics competition will be back shortly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Barring any unforeseen hitch, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) week-long BARMM Athletics Association (BARMMAA) 2025 regional meet will be conducted starting February 23 at the Cotabato State University (CSU) along Sinsuat Avenue in Cotabato City. The city is the seat of the Bangsamoro government.
The MBHTE headed by Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal has been conducting the BARMMAA and this year is the fourth iteration of the athletics meet that have been drawing close to 5,000 athletes annually from the MBHTE’s 11 schools division offices (SDOs). Sulu, which the Supreme Court on September 9, 2024, was cut from the BARMM family’s umbilical cord, is one of the 11 SDOs.
Iqbal cited yesterday, Tuesday, the importance of the athletics meet saying: “The values of sportsmanship are very important and, in the whole, it is more desirable than winning in any game.”
The BARMM education chief said at the conclusion of BARMMAA 2024 lauded the performance of the young elementary and high school athletes, saying that “You remind us that we are not defined by our struggles but by how we face them and rise again. You are the personification of our strength and the ambassadors of our vibrant culture and traditions.”
Related: Cotabato City SDO Runs Away with 3 BARMMAA Meet 2024 Overall Champion Crowns
In an announcement, the MBHTE described the yearly BARMMAA as an “event that brings together athletes from the 11 schools divisions across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR), uniting the region’s best youth talents to compete in a variety of sports disciplines.”
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2019 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), was originally made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction. With the recent plebiscite at SGA, the BARMM now has eight new municipalities as residents voted “Yes” to inclusion in a plebiscite in February 2019.
Theme: “Championing Peace and Unity through Bangsamoro Sports”
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities (plus eight newly established under the SGA: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur.
The MBHTE says this year’s BARMMAA edition revolves around the theme which says, “Championing Peace and Unity through Bangsamoro Sports.”
Bangsamoro Sports Czar Dr. Yusoph Thong Amino, director of the Bureau of Physical Education and Sports Development (MBHTE-BPESD), SDN – SciTech & Digital News in text message that around 4,775 athletes from the region are expected to compete in various event categories.
The sports competition includes Archery, Arnis, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Boxing, Chess, Basketball, Billiards, Football, Futsal, Paragames, Pencak Silat, Sepak Takraw, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling, and Wushu
He said that delegations of SDO officials and athletes started arriving in Cotabato City on February 16, with the screening of athletes to be held on February 17 to 21, the Opening Program on February 23, and the Closing Program on February 26.
In past editions of the sporting activities, Amino encouraged the student athletes to do their utmost, show the preparations they had through the year after BARMMAA 2024, adding champions this year’s competition will represent the Bangsamoro region in the National Games or Palarong Pambansa 2025.
SDN learned that Sulu may not participate in the regional meet, prompting the MBHTE to ask the Sulu SDO to show-cause.
In last year’s BARMMAA edition, the Cotabato City SDO took the overall champion’s trophy through its athletes’ grand performances.
For the monetary rewards in 2024, here’s the breakdown for the winners:
- Overall Champion — Php200,000
- 1st Overall Champion — Php150,000
- 2nd Overall Champion — Php100,000
- 3rd Overall Champion — Php75,000
- Champion, Elementary Level — Php150,000
- Champion, Secondary Level — Php150,000
Special Awards
- Most Disciplined Delegation — Php25,000
- Most Friendly Delegation — Php25,000
- Eco-Friendliest Delegation — Php25,000
- Best in Saludo Delegation — Php25,000
- Best in Uniform Delegation — Php25,000
- Best in Records and Management Delegation — Php25,000
- Best Host/Billeting School — Php25,000
For sure, the rest of the SDOs will try to wrestle the overall crown from the defending champion. (✓)