Friday, July 22, 2011

Tibiao, Antique Gears For 2012 ‘Int’l Kayaking Cup’


All roads will lead to the town of Tibiao, Antique, a fourth class municipality next year. Tibiao gears to gather kayaking enthusiasts worldwide for the staging of the 2012 International Kayaking Cup.


Flord Nicson J. Calawag, one of the founders of the Katahum Tours that will handle the marketing of the event, said the white water of Tibiao is a unique selling point of the municipality.


"Tibiao River is one of the best white water rivers in the Philippines perfect for kayaking. We are preparing for the second ‘International Kayaking Cup,’ to be held in Tibiao, Antique, the first was in 1997. This is a big event that will further boost the tourism industry in Tibiao," he explained.


Each station of the river has varieties like a one-meter drop and boulders that will allow maneuvering for various courses.


Kayaking has five grades namely, basic kayaking or Grade 1; Grade 2 is a higher level where the participants must counter flow with the water; Grade 3 has boulders and drops while Grades 4 and 5 are for professionals as they have drops and maneuvers.


"All of those are perfectly suitable at Tibiao River which is actually a seven to nine - kilometer stretch," Calawag explained.


The Tribal Adventures will provide for the venue and equipment. The head of the group travels to Australia this July to look for partner kayaking associations to build more facilities for the international event.


They are also going on site visits to establish different courses and identify stations for those who would like to try.


The LGU of Tibiao, on one hand,is focusing and prioritizing on infrastructure projects, especially on the construction of a farm-to-market road to Brgy.Tono, the venue of the event.


The LGU Tibiao is also working on its tourism, environmental and investment codes to at least regulate tourism-related activities.


Tibiao Mayor Walden Lim affirmed they are gearing to become the ‘Kayaking Capital of the Philippines’ specifically for white water kayaking, starting off with this event.

The international event is expected to gather enthusiasts from 12 countries which will be held in September or October 2012. (PNA) /MP

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