MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, June 11 (PIA) -- Fifteen members of the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation will be arriving in the province on Friday, June 15, for the holding of the “Sarimanok Boat Race” in Lake Lanao.
The Federation partnered with the municipal government of Ganassi for the conduct of a three-day seminar clinic and exhibition on dragon boat racing at the cove of the lake in Ganassi, disclosed municipal administrator Noroddin M. Maguindanao in a press conference held on Saturday at Brewberry Cafe in Cagayan de Oro City.
According to Maguindanao, the event is dubbed as “Sarimanok Boat Race” because participating boats will have the traditional ‘Sarimanok’ head instead of the dragon head and they will be decorated with ‘okir’ on the sides rather than dragon scales.
He said it is expensive to buy and transport the original dragon boat to Lanao, thus, Mayor Al Rashid Macapodi handpicked skilled boat makers to construct the boats and make the paddles that will be used for the event.
The seminar clinic and exhibition which is anchored on the theme, “One Paddle for Peace, One Race for Ranao,” aims to introduce and promote the sport among Ganassi constituents.
"Most importantly, we hope to deliver a message on the present situation of Lake Lanao, its importance to the Maranaos and the need to protect and preserve it," Maguindanao said.
He stressed that activities and events like the Sarimanok boat race is needed to support the battle cry of saving Lake Lanao.
Maguindanao disclosed that as of press time, 10 teams, excluding those coming from the Philippine Army and Philippine National Police, have already registered for the event.
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