Cebu Fights Tight Battle with Manila in 6th DanceSport sa Sugbu

DanceSports Team Cebu City gave the leaner and meaner Team Manila a run for its money in the recently concluded 6^th DanceSport sa Sugbu and Queen City Open DanceSport Championship held last Saturday, September 14, 2013 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.

In the most sought-after Latin Open Category, Cebu bets Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda missed by a few points in beating reigning national champions Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo of Team Manila.

Spectators watched with bated breath as the two contending couples belted it out in five dances Samba, Chachacha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive along with four other finalists in the Latin Open Finals.

Overall, Cebu gained 16 golds, 21 silvers and 19 bronzes out of a possible 37 golds.  Yet Cebu reigned the Latin Disciplines overall with 10 golds, 11 silvers and 12 bronzes out of a possible 18 golds.

An all Cebu win took the top spots in the Latin Youth 5 Dance with Zjiane Troy Villarta and Zjiana Tracy Villarta grabbing the gold, Jeffrey Ruben Benarao and Mary Mae Canillo, silver and James Bryan Camacho and Christine Camacho bronze; and the Latin Teacher-Student Amateur 3 Dance with Eo Lowen Rendon and Nanaho Nishiyama, gold; Jose Gatino Nacario and Christine Jill Rodriquez, silver; and Bert Kevin Diluvio and Yukie Sugawara, bronze.

Cebu also got the gold and silver medals in Latin Youth 3 Dance with Jeffrey Ruben Benarao and Mary Mae Canillo gold and James Bryan Camacho and Christine Camacho silver as Jayson Pagcalibangan and Judy Ann Pagcalibangan of GenSan settled for the bronze.

Cebu likewise lorded over the Latin Senior 2 Dance, Latin Junior 5 Dance and Latin Amateur Closed Visayas with an all-Cebu win with Charlie Camacho and Marrise Reyes, gold; Thomas Auden Ingan and Zelda Ruiz, silver; and Marlon Segismar and Luzviminda Poitiers, bronze in Latin Senior 2 Dance; John Paul Mocorro and Therese Andre Quilaton, gold;  Andrew Ysla and Kathlene Joy Diluvio, silver; and Crispin Sato and Noelyn Pedrano, bronze in Latin Junior 5 Dance; and Eo Lowen Rendon and Mary Desiree Seraga, gold; John Paul Mocorro and Therese Andre Quilaton, silver; and Jeffrey Ruben Benarao and Mary Mae Canillo, bronze in Latin Amateur Closed Visayas.

The Cebu team had no contenders for four categories, specifically the Latin Teacher Student 4 Dance, Latin Teacher Student 5 Dance, Latin Senior 4 Dance, Standard Teacher-Student 5 thus affecting its total medal count.

In the Standard category, Cebu held its ground with an all-Cebu win in the Standard Juvenile 5 Dance, Standard Junior 3 Dance, Standard Junior 5 Dance and Standard Amateur Closed Visayas with Carl Nathañyl Papellero and Jasmine Kate Labra, gold; and Francis Isiah Diluvio and Anndreah Kiem Diluvio, silver in Standard Juvenile 5 Dance; Andrew Ysla and Kathlene Joy Diluvio, gold; John Paul Mocorro and Therese Andre Quilaton, silver; and Crispin Sato and Noelyn Pedrano, bronze in Standard Junior 5 Dance; Andrew Ysla and Kathlene Joy Diluvio, gold; Crispin Sato and Noelyn Pedrano, silver; and Gylle Niño Diluvio and Julia Paz Branzuela in Standard Junior 3 Dance; Zjiane Troy Villarta and Zjiana Tracy Villarta, gold; Bjorn Torreon and Jam Flores, silver; and Jimmy Noel and Elsa Zets, gold in Standard Amateur Closed Visayas.

Cebu also held ground in Standard Juvenile 3 Dance with Carl Nathañyl Papellero and Jasmine Kate Labra grabbing the gold; Geoge Michael Gaerlan and Nicely Joy Balayo of GenSan got the silver; as Cebu’s Ryan Joshua Romeo & Paige Ianah Silud got the bronze.

In the Standard Teacher-Student Amateur 3 Dance Cebu’s Bjorn Torreon and Jam Flores got the gold and Romeo Jay Cialbo and Mae Pabuaya got the silver as Kidapawan’s Zaheedon Hussain and Vanessah Hebron got the bronze.

Cebu and Manila were mostly neck in neck in majority of the categories, with other cities such as Kidapawan, Davao, General Santos and Cagayan sharing in the fight with newbies Panabo and Negros Oriental giving a good showing.

In the Latin Amateur Closed Mindanao category, GenSan’s Ricksley Navaja and Judy Ann Pagcalibangan grabbed the gold and Harold Caparos and Lovely Princess Ungui also of GenSan gained the silver; with Chistian Philip Dombase and Khainumisa Kate Dogsan of Panabo gaining the bronze.

In the Latin Amateur Closed Luzon category, Manila’s Jefferson Estoya and Lovely Micu grabbed gold and Israel Jeru Aliermo and Dannah Joyce Piol also of Manila gained the silver, while Lemuel Bes and Lauren Marie Flores of Baguio got the bronze.

In the Standard Amateur Closed Mindanao category, Patrick Kyle Jardinel and Patricia Louise Jardinel
of Davao grabbed the gold as Dave Torres and Roshua Daclan also of Davao gained the silver, as Jefferson Sambas and Crysha Mae Daganato of Kidapawan got the bronze.

DanceSport sa Sugbu is the only dancesport competition in the Philippines held outside Metro Manila.  Now in its 6^th showing, DanceSport sa Sugbu has the biggest participation with nearly a thousand athletes from the most number of cities from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the Philippines and from countries within the Asia Pacific Region, Europe and the Unites States of America gathering an audience of nearly 2,000.

The 6^th DanceSport sa Sugbu and Queen City Open DanceSport Championship gathered 500 athletes representing the cities of Cebu City, General Santos City, Hinunangan Leyte, Panabo City, Minglanilla-Cebu, Xyle-Kidapawan, Turin- Kidapawan, Manila, Baguio City, Danao-Cebu, Carcar-Cebu, Baguio City, Lucena City, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Cagayan de Oro City, Zamboanga City and the countries Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

The event was graced by none other than Philippine Sports Commission Chair Hon. Ricardo P. Garcia, and PSC Commissioner Jose Luis R. Gomez, Cebu City Sports Commission Chair Mr. Edward L. Hayco, Cebu City Councilor and Committee on Sports Chairman Richard Z. Osmena, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama, Dancesport Council of the Philippines President Ma. Rebecca F. Garcia.

Organized by the DanceSport Team Cebu International Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization geared at promoting DanceSports to the grassroots to transform the youth and help alleviate poverty, DanceSport sa Sugbu has hosted both national and international competitions with linkages from the DanceSport Council of the Philippines and the World DanceSport Federation (formerly International DanceSport Federation) and the support of the Cebu City Sports Commission and the Philippine Sports Commission.