ZAMBOANGA CITY — Navy cadet Jenny Manongsong, Air Force cadet Jenny Rose Ibanez, and Army’s Jessa Corpus anchored their respective team to victory in the 4×400-m relay and secured their fourth gold Friday at the end of the athletic competition of the ROTC Games at the Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex here.

Manongsong of the Zamboanga Peninsula Polytechnic State University led his team with a time of 6:03.0, while Ibanez and her group finished 5:4.02 and Corpus of Tangub City Global College clocked 4:35.2. All three teams participated in a separate competition for their respective branch of services of their school.

Airman John Barry Asdani and his group of Western Mindanao State University students could only finish silver in the same 4×400-m event. But Asdani remained as the most bemedalled athlete in medal-rich athletics with four golds and a silver.

Each of the three services of the Armed Forces -Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army brought home similar 15 gold, silver, and bronze medals apiece in athletics, a good sign of improvements from last year, which was dominated by the Army.

In boxing at the Western Mindanao State University gymnasium, the Army fielded the most number of entries so it garnered four gold medals while only one for the Air Force none from the Navy.

Armyman Rolando Evangelista of Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Tampilisan easily won over Christopher Medina of Makilala Institute of Science and Technology, 5-0, in the bantamweight class, while John Rey Apale of Makilala Institute of Science and Technology also won over Ian Jeffer Banyogan of PHINMA, CDO, 4-1, in the featherweight finals.

Also advancing to the national finals was Joebert Yacacapin of PHINMA-CDO over Rogelio Cordero Jr. of Sibugay Technical Institute, 5-0, in the lightweight division and Wilmark Agosto of La Salle University after winning over John Loid Lorenzo of MIST, 5-0, in the light welterweight finals.

Only Gabriel Gonzales of WMSU was awarded a gold medal in the PAF boxing contest after subduing Allen Gerald Razote of Ateneo de Zamboanga, 5-0, in the light welterweight bout. Both Ceejay Luna (bantamweight) of Southern City College and Ronie Gonzales (featherweight) of WMSU showed up but without an opponent in the Air Force boxing contest. Officials said both earned a slot in the national finals.

Technical officials of the games said that only the gold and silver medalists will advance to the national finals slated to be held in Indang, Cavite on Aug. 18, 2024.

After the Mindanao Leg, the Luzon Leg will follow also in Indang, Cavite from July 28 to Aug. 3. The Visayas Leg was held from May 26 to June 1 in Bacolod City.

Tables tennis action at the Pilar College gymnasium, showed Mark John Golez of Holy Trinity College defeating PHINMA-CDO Kirk James Buslon for the gold in the Army men’s singles category, while Eladio Fuentes Jr. (doubles category, Army and Reijay Alabata and partner Kian Lance Saladaga will still advance to the national finals even without a fight because of no opponent.

PAF table tennis had Mikdar Suraji of Nuevo Zamboanga College making it to Indang, Cavite after defeating Michael James Nieva of Northern Mindanao Collge in the finals and the pair of Allain Capitanea and Jake Ryan Sibayan also of Nuevo Zamboanga College defeated the tandem of Genson Barilla and Marc Daniel Barredo in the men’s doubles finals.

Over at the WMSU gym, Philippine Army cadets and Air Force cadets dominated the arnis events with 14 gold medals each while the Navy cadets settled with only 12.
Winners in the PAF women’s full contact live stick sparring competition were Bernalyn Joy Nicdao (featherweight) of WMSU, Sarah Graciano (lightweight) of WMSU, and Marical Cautivar of WMSU (welterweight).

In the men’s division of the PAF full contact live stick sparring were Rene Callorda of WMSU (featherweight), TIU Oscare III of Faith OrateWMSU (lightweight), and John Tigo Leoter of Southern City Colleges (welterweight).

Advancing to the national finals from the Army arnis women’s full contact live stick sparring contest were Julia Ray Capulac of Mindanao State University (featherweight), Karen Orate of Davao del Sur State College (lightweight), Honey Bee Palmares of Sultan Kudarat State University (welterweight).

The men’s Army full contact live sparring winners were Edito Paderog of Davao Oriental State College (featherweight), Dolf Marquez of Jose Rizal Memorial State University-Tampilisan (lightweight), and Spencer Custorio of Sultan Kudarat State University (welterweight).

Each of the three branches of services in the Armed Forces conducted separate competitions for their respective cadets so that three golds are being offered in every event, hence they are not paired against each other. Thus the bigger number of units has the advantage of participating in all events contested.

The ROTC Games, a brainchild of Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino, who is also the overall chairman, is in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, Department of National Defense, and Commission on Higher Education to foster discipline and camaraderie among cadets from the different schools and universities throughout the country.