What started as an idea passed around among team members ultimately led to an afternoon of discovering the sport of Dragon boating. Facilitated by Christian Ian Sy and participated by members of the Cebu Pink Paddlers team, nineteen (19) RAFI employees underwent a basic orientation on Dragon boating at the Plenary Hall of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center last December 4, 2017.
An international team paddling sport that started in 1976, Dragon boating has now increasingly gained popularity and following in Luzon and now in the Visayas region.
By organizing the orientation, RAFI employees led by Integrated Development Unit-Humanitarian Disaster Preparedness & Response (IDU-HDPR) Supervisor Christopher Estallo and Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) Team Leader Ronald Delos Reyes, hoped to engender strong interest and participation that would ultimately lead to establishing a dragon boat team for RAFI.
Coach Chris of Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragon boat Team and the Philippine Accessibility Disability Services, Inc. (PADS) Adaptive Dragon boat Racing Team discussed the history and organization of a dragon boat as well as oriented employees on the proper handling of a paddle.
The orientation also highlighted testimonials from members of the award-winning Cebu Pink Paddlers, composed of a team of women cancer survivors, and coach Chris himself, who shared videos of the team’s winning performances in a recent competition in Taiwan. They also answered various queries and shared their personal experiences to further inspire RAFInians.
At the end of the session, employee-attendees pledged their participation in the proposed training sessions leading to the formal establishment of a RAFI dragon boat club set to begin in 2018.
RAFI also sees this new initiative as an opportunity to promote personal wellness, camaraderie and team work amongst Dragon boating enthusiasts and as well as to serve pride as the official representative of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. to the sport.
Today, “BUGSAI TA BAI!” will now cease to be just an expression, RAFInians will have the chance to learn and live by it.
RAFI Dragon boat Team also plans to compete in the Cebu Dragon Boat Festival in April 13 to 15, 2018.
