Manila Bay Seasports Festival draws huge field

MANILA, Philippines - The Manila Bay Seasports Festival unfolds this weekend with 18 teams backstopped by members of the national dragon boat team seeing action at the Manila Bay along Baywalk.

Philippine Air Force, Crimson Dragons, Amateur Paddlers Philippines and Rogue Pilipinas head the field in the two-day event held under the auspices of Manila Broadcasting Co. and the City of Manila and in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard.

Others tipped to contend for the crown are the Philippine Blue Phoenix, 1925 Paddlers Club, the Philippine Coast Guard, Triton, Onslaught Racing Dragons, Rowers Club Philippines Sea Dragons, One Piece Drakon Sangress, Manila Ocean Park, PNP Maritime Group Patriots, the Philippine Navy, NTMA Dragon Boat Team, Adamson University Paddlers, Maharlika Dragon Racers and Dragons Republic.

Stock and formula races in the motorized banca category, meanwhile, will feature top rowers from Batangas, Bulacan,  Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, La Union, Bacolod, Boracay, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Aparri and Ilocos Sur.

Races will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Other backers of the event are Globe Telecom, Pride Detergent, Cobra Energy Drink, The Generics Pharmacy, Revicon, M. Lhuillier, Columbia Candies, and Herco-official distributor for Briggs and Stratton.