14/09/2026
Honorable Mayor Alex Magpantay, members of the Sangguniang Bayan, municipal officials, and distinguished guests—Zero Zero Two 😎
I am Dr. Jacinta Soteco Bernardo from Barangay Ibabao, and I am honored to serve as President of the Cuenca Pickleball Club for 2026.
Today, I stand before you not only as the president of our club, but as someone who has personally witnessed how pickleball has grown here in Cuenca.
I started playing pickleball in 2023.
And back then—
wala pang bubong sa Isabel’s Yard.
There were only a few players, a few paddles, and very few places to play.
Pero may nagsimula.
Friends invited friends. Families joined. Players traveled from different barangays just to play.
And little by little—
pickleball became a community.
Then, in April 2026, something even more meaningful happened.
The Cuenca Pickleball Club was born.
What started as a shared love for the sport became an organized community with a purpose—to bring people together, promote an active and healthy lifestyle, and create opportunities for our youth.
Today, we have Pickleball Courts at Isabel’s Yard in Adan, StrikePoint Pickleball Court in Labac, and Maculot Pickleball Courts in Poblacion 4.
And now, three more courts are soon opening in Barangay Ibabao.
From a handful of players, pickleball is becoming part of Cuenca’s sporting landscape.
But our greatest achievement is not the number of courts.
It is the number of people we have brought together.
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OUR COMMUNITY
The Cuenca Pickleball Club is proud to be a registered club of the Philippine Pickleball Federation and a registered Youth Organization of the Municipality of Cuenca through the Local Youth Development Office.
These are not simply titles.
They are responsibilities.
Responsibility to promote not only sports, but also health, discipline, friendship, sportsmanship, and opportunities for our youth.
Because when a young person picks up a paddle, hindi lang sila natututong maglaro.
They learn to compete with respect, win with humility, lose with grace, and become part of something bigger than themselves.
⸻
OUR MEMBERS
And I would like to recognize the people who truly make the Cuenca Pickleball Club what it is—
our members.
May I request all Cuenca Pickleball Club members who are present today to please stand or raise your hand.
Ladies and gentlemen—
these are the people behind our club.
Different barangays. Different professions. Different ages. Different levels of experience.
Some play competitively.
Some play for exercise.
And some simply found friendship and happiness on the court.
And some probably started because someone told them:
“Try mo lang. Masaya dito.”
Pause for laughter.
But sometimes, that simple invitation leads to something bigger.
One invitation leads to one game.
One game leads to a friendship.
And one friendship leads to a community.
That is what pickleball has done for us.
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OUR REQUEST
As the Cuenca Pickleball Club, we do not want to grow alone.
We want to grow with our municipality.
We hope for the continued support and partnership of our local government as we develop the club—not only as a sports organization, but as a Youth Organization that can contribute to a healthier, more active, and more united Cuenca.
Gusto natin na ang ating mga kabataan ay magkaroon ng lugar where they can play, make friends, stay active, and discover what they are capable of.
We want pickleball to be an opportunity for health, friendship, leadership, competition, and community building.
⸻
Three years ago, I saw pickleball in Cuenca when it was still small.
In April 2026, the Cuenca Pickleball Club was born.
And today, I see what that small beginning has become.
I see courts being built.
I see new players coming in.
I see families playing together.
I see young people discovering the sport.
And most importantly—
I see a community growing.
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson pickleball has taught us:
The game may begin with one paddle and one ball, but it becomes meaningful when people come together.
So wherever we play, let us carry the values that define us:
Respect.
Sportsmanship.
Humility.
Camaraderie.
And unity.
Because the strength of the Cuenca Pickleball Club will never be measured only by the number of courts we have.
It will be measured by the number of people we bring together.
One paddle.
One rally.
One friendship.
One community at a time.
To our members, our court owners, our supporters, our Philippine Pickleball Federation family, and most especially to the Municipality of Cuenca—
thank you for believing in the growth of this sport and, more importantly, in the people behind it.
Let us continue to build not only better players,
but healthier, stronger, and more united Cuencanos.
Mabuhay ang Cuenca!
Mabuhay ang Cuenca Pickleball Club!
And most of all—
MABUHAY ANG PAGKAKAISA NG ATING KOMUNIDAD!
Maraming salamat po.
