Regatta winners claim prizes after 10 months

CEBU, Philippines — After almost 10 months of waiting, the winners of the Sinulog Balik Baroto Regatta 2024 finally claimed their prizes on Monday, November 25.

The winners, mostly from Talisay City, previously aired their complaints publicly after the Cebu City government failed to award their prizes of the competition that was held in January yet.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia vowed to ensure that such delay will not happen again.

Garcia, alongside Sinulog Foundation Inc. Executive Director Elmer “Jojo” Labella, awarded the prizes to the winners.

Garcia was reluctant to explain the delay in the distribution of the cash prizes, saying that the winners had been under a different administration when they won.

The Sinulog Balik Baroto Regatta 2024 was one of the events held in January under the leadership of then mayor Michael Rama.

“For me that was of the previous administration, the previous mayor who handled it…di nalang ko mu comment ana, what is important is atong nabayran karon,” said Garcia.

He added that, while a “lot” of things were not done in the past, he vowed that under his “watch”, these issues will be addressed.

“It’s self-serving man gud to say nga perhaps it was a management or leadership issue so I think karon I have been very straight when it comes to prizes, when it comes to sweldo,” said Garcia.

In line with this, Garcia said they will be “trying their best” to prevent similar delay from happening again, especially with the Sinulog 2025 events.

In a separate interview, the winners' legal representative, Lawyer Jarred Cabilete, said that among the top five winners, four were from Tangke, Talisay City.

According to him, the winners came to his office in Tangke seeking help to claim their prizes. They then went directly to the SFI office to follow up.

“Kapila mi’g balik-balik didto, gipasabot mi nilas rason, niabot og ten months,” said Cabilete.

He added that the SFI had told them at the time that they were still processing the paperwork for the prizes, among other reasons, which he said they “did not get a hold of.”

He continued that they remained persistent with their follow-ups until Labella finally called him to inform him that the winners could now claim their prizes.

“Nalipay ko para sa among tangkehon, but personally wala ko kabalo sa ilang gibati no pero nalipay mi nga among nakuha no kay sige sad baya mig balik-balik,” he said.

It was reported that the champion took home P100,000, while the second and third placers received P75,000 and P50,000, respectively. The fourth and fifth placers received P20,000, while the other finishers were each given P10,000 consolation prize.   FPL (CEBU NEWS)