At least two athletes from Samar province delivered standout performances at the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur.
Kyle Advincula, a student from Patong National High School in Calbiga, Samar, won double gold in para swimming’s 50-meter butterfly and backstroke and a silver in the 50-meter freestyle.
Jesalyn Abegonia, a student at Canduyocan Elementary School in San Sebastian, Samar, earned bronze medals in the 50-meter butterfly and backstroke.
But what made their achievements so remarkable is that they overcame a prevalent issue among student-athletes in the region: the lack of adequate sports facilities.
“We use backyard training for our athletes since we do not have standard training facilities,” Education Program Supervisor and Division Sports Officer Baldwin Babon told media.
He said the division conducted training in athletes’ local areas throughout Samar, relying on teachers and former athletes as local trainers to deliver standardized coaching and technical instruction.
Babon said two Samar athletes in athletics received full scholarship offers from Adamson University after their performances, creating educational opportunities.
The Samar Provincial Government continues to support athletes’ achievements financially. All Samar delegates, including athletes and coaches, also receive financial aid and transportation for the national competition.
To build on the recent results, the Samar Provincial Youth, Education, and Sports Development Office is preparing new interventions, including specialized training for coaches in high-medal sports and a proposed Provincial Sports Development Council and Sports Development Fund to strengthen athlete development across Samar’s 24 municipalities.
“We will send five trainers, TMs, or coaches from the Samar Division for Gymnastics because we’ve seen it in EVRAA, with more than 100 Gymnastics medals. So, we will prioritize the sports categories in EVRAA that have a lot of medals, like Arnis, Gymnastics, Swimming,” said Jhunlie Escala, Officer-in-Charge of the Samar Provincial Youth, Education, and Sports Development Office.
(With report from PIA)
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