LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Around here, don’t ever talk about losing and never talk about the possibility of defeat. Talk about winning and believe it will happen.

Those inspiring words were posted in every door where the Western Visayas delegates were billeted at the Pangasinan National High School here as they competed in the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) national games.

And it worked well as their athletes are in an upbeat mood when this reporter visited them Friday morning after they maintain their lead as the overall number one in the medal tally. As of 11:a.m. yesterday, they have already hauled 50 golds, 60 silver and 45 bronze and maintains its top rank.

Thirty of the gold medals they got came from swimming where its women tankers snatched 20 and the other 10 by the men. They got the overall championship plum this year in swimming for women while the men are first-runner up although the men got the same gold medals with this year’s overall swimming champ (men category, CALABARZON), the difference only was in the silver medal standing.

Last year, Western Visayas was the overall champion in swimming (men) but CALABARZON snatched it this year, dislodging them to number two. On the contrary, also last year, their swimming (women) was the over-all first runner up but they are now the overall swimming champs.

Bemedalled swimmer

Kristine Cabasac, 18, Civil Engineering sophomore at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, became the star of the swimmers when she romped off with six golds and one silver..

“I’m very happy. It was great,” Cabasac told me interviewed by phone as she was on her way to Baguio City for a treat to herself for her feat. She was joined by other victorious swimmers in the City of Pines just to relax for one day.

She said she only expected three golds but surpassed it when she made it for the 100 meter, 4X100 freestyle relay and 4X100 meter medley relay and in 800,400 and 200 freestyle and a silver in 50 meter freestyle.
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Last year, she went home with five golds and two silver in the PRISAA national games.

“Ito ang pinakamarami ko so far (This is my biggest),” Cabasac said.

She started swimming when she was in grade five with her Mommy Mercy Pasaporte, her guardian, who is her father’s sister, who encouraged her to swim to while away time one summer season. She is the only girl, the third in the brood of four siblings.

It was not an instant victory for her as she had also tried out in several outings in Manila and in the Pacific School Games in 2000 in Sydney, Australia but initially to bring home medals.

She said that surely her Daddy Tomas, husband of Mercy, as well as her biological daddy, Tomas Cabasac, will surely be proud of her. Kristine was earlier adopted by Mercy and Edgardo when she was only five years old because then her guardians didn’t have a child. Since then, Kristine lived with and grew up with them.

To excel, Cabasac used her former opponent swimmer as her inspiration. “She was my idol but I promised myself that one day, I will be greater than her,” Kristine said.

‘We can smell victory”

Rev. Fr. Emil Jaruda of the Order of Augustine Recollects and president of PRISAA for Western Visayas, told this writer in a separate interview that,” we can smell victory”.

He said they are expecting to be always on top as it had been their delegation’s motto.

He said they are hopeful they can maintain their lead as number one until the closing games.

Aside from swimming, their athletics women were also the overall champion.

“Sulit ang pagod namin (Our efforts paid well),” the prelate said.

“We’re very happy, we’re very satisfied,” he added, although he said there was discontentment in tournament managers particularly in chess and their coach is going to file an official comment so that the management will be improved in next PRISAA games.

He said last year, Western Visayas got the highest medal tally with 78 golds.

“We imposed discipline among our athletes, trained them hard and the inspiration from their family and the support of the officials mattered a lot,” Jaruda said.

“We don’t mention negatives in our camp ,” Jaruda said, “in order not to affect our athletes’ morale”.

Before saying thank you to him, Jaruda, pointed to another reminder posted in their camp from their athletics manager, Roger Banzuela,, which reads,” In a team, everyone counts”.