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A picture of the Philippine Dragon Boat Team being transported using a dump truck ahead of the 2024 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Dragon Boat World Championships angered Filipinos.
A Reddit user on Thursday, October 17, shared a picture of the national athletes standing inside a white dump truck while going to the Puerto Princesa City Baywalk on that day to train for the international competition.
“Parang kawawa naman masyado athletes natin?” the Reddit user wrote.
Our Philippine Dragon Boat Team going to practice
byu/KopikoUbeDoubleTaco inPhilippines
Reports said the picture was originally uploaded by photographer PedroGraphy.
While deleted, the photo has since circulated on social media platforms, drawing the ire of Filipinos who called out the kind of transportation the athletes were provided.
“Aba t*ng*na, ano ‘yan? Talo pa ng collegiate athletes namin sa Laguna State Polytechnic University na naka-aircon minibus,” a Redditor commented. “Kawawa talaga mga athletes natin.”
“T*ena, ‘di maka-rent man lang ng Jeep. Mga hayup,” another online user wrote.
“Apologies for my words, pero mukha silang maghahakot ng basura for cleaning operations, and it’s appalling to see them also looking like canned sardines,” a different Pinoy commented.
“Hindi patas ang pagpapahalaga. Mas mahirap training [niyan], bilad sa araw. Nakakagalit,” another Redditor wrote.
“Wala man lang naarkila na bus para sa kanila?! Grabe naman,” commented a different online user.
‘Normal’ part of training
Philippine Canoe, Kayak, and Dragonboat Federation president Leonora “Len” Escollante explained that it was a “normal” part of their training for the athletes to board trucks.
She claimed that the dump truck used was “brand new” and “clean,” adding that the city government of Puerto Princesa had nothing to do with it, despite allegations.
“National athletes sila. Ito ay preparation for world championship. Bakit ko sila bebe-beyhin (babying)?” Escollante said to reporters on Friday, October 18.
She said that the dump truck was borrowed and that they do not have enough budget to rent a vehicle for the athletes.
“I’d rather choose pakainin namin sila, bigyan sila ng magandang tirahan, kasi ang tinitingnan naman namin is malapit lang sa Baywalk. Only two kilometers away. ‘Yung mga babae, nasa Rema. ‘Yung the rest, ang mga lalaki naman, more than three or four kilometers, sa Victoria Guest House,” Escollante said.
“So part po ng training ‘yan, kasi minsan, gagawin nila, magjo-jogging sila, warm up nila, from the hotel to the Bay. So ‘pag intense naman ang training namin, ang gagawin namin, isasakay sila,” she added.
Escollante said it has been a “routine” for them ever since they went to the province last September.
“Ano po ang masama, ano po ang pagkakaiba, na pasakayin ko ‘yan? Malinis naman ‘yan, brand new naman ang aming dump truck,” she said.
“At tsaka isa pa, water sport po kami. After po ng training namin, basang-basa po sila. Kaya akma po talaga, kung meron lang ring truck na mas mababa, edi dun namin isasakay. Tumutulo po ang tubig (galing sa kanila), ang dagat, pati pawis,” the sports official added.
She added that she does the same thing in any province where they camp.
“Kung ano lang ang meron tayo, magtiis tayo,” Escollante said.
The Philippines will host the 2024 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships from October 28 to November 4 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
The event serves as a qualification for the 2025 World Games.