Davao Dragonboat Teams Paddle for the Environment

WE PADDLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. The Davao Dragon Boat Team Hiraya Minokawa Dabaw (HMD) was presented to the Sanggunian Panlungsod in Davao City after they emerged as the over-all champion at the 1st Bugsay Mindanao held last December 6, 2014 in Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao. As a team, they hope to lead in riverside/ocean protection through dragonboating. Photo sent by Carmela Marie M. Santos/Ateneo de Davao University.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Dragonboating goes back 2,000 years in the southern part of China where legend says that the beating of drums and pounding of paddles was done to keep away the water dragons from the body of a Chinese scholar who jumped into the river to protest government corruption.

Today, from recreation to competition, dragonboating has been a very popular water sports activity in both local and international settings that shows a wide range of skills for paddlers.

In Mindanao, especially here in Davao Region, dragonboating is seen not only as water sports but a vehicle for advocating the protection and conservation of our water resources thus reenacting the saying ‘you cannot protect what you do not love‘. Fostering a love for the rivers and oceans through dragonboating (whether as paddler or spectator) is what the dragonboat teams of Davao are committed to unite for. They protest the corruption of our resources and reclaim the river’s and ocean’s power and defend their integrity.

On Sunday, March 8, the four (4) dragonboat teams of Davao, namely Kampilan, Dragons del Sur (DDS), Base Camp, and Hiraya Minokawa Dabaw (HMD) will come together in a friendly race at the Matina Aplaya Beach (near the statue of David), Davao City. The event will start from 7 AM to 11 AM.

Check map here:

Also, on March 16, on the 78th Araw ng Davao, the said teams will do a solidarity planting at the adopted mangrove site of HMD in Barangay Bucana 76-A. This event, too, is being anticipated to bring in volunteers for the environmental cause and raise awareness in caring for the ocean.

Led by the HMD, the overall theme of this planting activity is ‘Dragonboat: Paddling hard, protecting the rivers/oceans harder‘ which aims not just to plant mangrove species (Piapi or Avicennia marina) but to demonstrate that care for the environment can be done as well through sports like the dragonboating.

(Read the story ‘Ecoteneo Knightriders power Davao’s dragonboat champ Hiraya Minokawa Dabaw’ here.)

For more information, please contact the HDM through e-mail gaea2005@gmail.com or call/text 0927.953.1157.