10/04/2026
What a blast of a year! 🎉
We are truly grateful to have such supportive coaches and a caring chaperone. From SLC, to the Provincial Meet, and finally to the Regional Meet at HAPIsabela ZPRAA 2026, this journey has been unforgettable. 🙏
Before anything else, we want to share our journey during training. It was never easy—it required discipline, patience, commitment, dedication, and respect. Along the way, we faced challenges like misunderstandings and conflicts that could have affected our team, but we overcame them by acknowledging our mistakes and comforting each other. 🤝
And there’s more—we had to monitor our weight, which sometimes led to becoming too skinny and neglecting our physical health. We faced discouragement and temptations to quit, but we didn’t give up because we believed that all our hard work would pay off. 💪
During the Provincial Meet, we were devastated when two of our boys didn’t qualify for the ZPRAA Meet. But God had a better plan—He gave us two new teammates from Naga and a chaperone who truly cared for us. We are so grateful and happy. We didn’t regret anything—being with them was fun, and it became a wonderful experience to bond with people from different delegations. ❤️
Now, here we are in Isabela City, where ZPRAA was held. Through our hard work, we brought home 1 silver and 5 bronze medals. 🥈🥉 We are truly blessed. Even though we didn’t achieve gold, these medals reflect all the sacrifices and effort we gave during training—it was all worth it.
You might wonder why winning gold felt almost impossible. Competing at the regional level meant facing strong delegations with trained players and trainers, while we didn’t even have one. That’s why earning these medals means so much to us—it came from our own sweat, blood, and determination. 🙌
If you want to join Arnis, you must be physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared—because Arnis is not for the weak. ⚔️
To Ma’am Rhodora Francisco, thank you for guiding us every step of the way. Thank you for constantly reminding us about discipline, especially in managing our weight, and for believing in us even when we doubted ourselves. Your patience, care, and dedication inspired us to push beyond our limits. We love you, Ma’am. 💖
To Ma’am Ellen Liboon, thank you for supporting us even though you are no longer our coach. Your guidance still reaches us even from afar. We are very grateful for the espada you contributed—it became a meaningful part of our journey. Thank you as well for sharing our Arnis journey while you are teaching in Chicago. It means so much to us that you continue to carry and share our story. Your influence and dedication will always be remembered. Thank you, Ma’am! 💖
To Sir Russel Tumamut, thank you for choosing to coach us in this event. Even when we were tired and overwhelmed, you stayed patient and motivated us to keep going. Your presence made a big difference in our team—you didn’t just train us physically, but also helped us grow stronger mentally. We are truly grateful for everything you’ve done for us. 🙏
To our chaperone, Ma’am Cris Moriente, we are so blessed and thankful to have spent this journey with you. Your care, support, and understanding made us feel safe and comfortable throughout the competition. Thank you for treating us like your own and for always being there when we needed guidance. 💐
To Kuya Jannel Mejares, thank you so much, Kuya. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Even though you are no longer a player, you never stopped supporting and believing in us. Your encouragement, presence, and sacrifices helped shape our team and motivated us to keep going. We are truly thankful for everything you’ve done for us. 💙
To Captain Chadix and Shem, even though you may not be able to compete next year, your contributions to the team will never be forgotten. You brought strength, encouragement, and valuable lessons that helped shape us into who we are today. Thank you for the memories, the challenges, and the advice—you will always be part of this team. 💙
Hanggang sa muli, paalam!
