Talisay City bets rule Sinulog Baroto race

Ricardo and Lyndon Sumalinog near the finish line during the Sinulog Baroto Regatta competition. (CDN PHOTO LITO TECSON)

Talisay City boatmen ruled the second Sinulog Baroto Regatta competition yesterday held at the waters off the South Road Properties.

Ricardo and Lyndon Sumalinog, who are fishermen from Talisay City, Cebu, emerged as the champions as they finished the five-nautical mile race with a time of one hour, 11 minutes and 56 seconds.

The pair went home with the P50,000 top purse.

The second and third placers were also from Talisay City. They are Gilberto Obrero and Fransico Gamboa (1:12.02) and Mario Cañon and Arnold Cabalda (1:13.12), respectively.

Tuburan’s Jimmy Pelones and Jonathan Lopez settled for fourth place with a time of 1:13.32 while Talisay City’s Charlie Abapo and Virgilio Jumao-as landed at the fifth, clocking 1:15.52.

The second placers received P40,000 while P30,000 was given to the third placer. Fourth and fifth also received P20,000 and P10,000, respectively.

The race was organized by Sinulog Festival founder David “Kuya Boy” Odilao, who was the director for the ministry of sports in Cebu in the 1980’s.

One of the goals of the organizers is to give the young generation more knowledge about the baroto or outrigger canoe.

Odilao said the baroto  is still a convenient means of transportation, considering that fuel prices are unstable.

“We started this (race) last year with just a handful of participants and we are very glad that the number of participants this year increased,” Odilao said. “I just hope that our Balik Baroto

Movement will strengthen in the future and attract more participants in our coming races.”

Around 30 participants—mostly fishermen—from various towns and cities in Cebu joined the race. Some were from Moalboal, Borbon, Tuburan and Badian.