10 swim teams to race across Sarangani Bay

By SERAFIN N. RAMOS JR.

MAASIM, Sarangani (May 15, 2008) – Ten teams are set to swim 15 kilometers, from one town to another, across Sarangani Bay on Saturday (May 17) in Sarangani Bay Festival's most grueling race.

From Kamanga, Maasim to Tango, Glan - one of the bay's narrowest points – swimmers will attempt to break last year's record by Dadiangas Torpedoes of 2:50:15.23 hours to cross the bay first.

Or they may widen the 04:05:18 hours that took the same team from General Santos City to win in 2006.

Whoever wins this time will come from the ranks of 10 teams, or a total of 50 relay swimmers (at five persons maximum per team), who will race for the top prize of P50,000. Second and third prizes, respectively, are P30,000 and P15,000.

A mass start shall be called at exactly 5am. Saturday at Kamanga Beach in Maasim. The finish line is at Reycon Beach, Tango in Glan.

Dadiangas Torpedoes won't be able to attempt a grand slam because its team members are now merging with comrades from Davao City, carrying the team name Sta. Cruz Seafoods, Inc.

Two other teams are coming from Koronadal City, four from Maasim, one from Glan and two teams from the Philippine Navy.

"Seven organizer boats are ready for the marshals, rescue team, medics and media. Maritime police, Coast Guard and Navy gunboats will also secure the race area," said swim organizer Nemrad Butil.

The Swim-across-the-Bay is a brainchild of former Capitol agriculture chief and marine biologist Giuseppe Chew who now lives abroad.

"I could still vividly remember well when I made my suggestion to the floor when we had our first meeting to conduct the Sarangani Bay Festival, everyone was laughing at me," Chew said in an email. "The suggestion was almost killed if not for Board Member Art Lawa who supported and believed of my grandiose plan," he said.

With assistance from the Environmental Conservation and Protection Center staff, Chew said the Swim-across-the-Bay "turned out the best activity then and highly successful."

He said the Sarangani swim is "the longest open ocean swimming competition in the Philippines and probably in Asia."

"Who would ever believe historic Sarangani Bay (mentioned in Pigafetta epic journal of Magellan's expedition), the deepest bay in the Philippines can be conquered with human prowess?"

"Even the local Coast Guard Commander then did not believe it can be done when I called for a meeting to prepare for the medical emergency plan," Chew added. On May 18, 2006, only three teams out of six entries finished the first-ever swim across Sarangani Bay.

Each team started with a lead swimmer closely followed by an escort boat where other team members wait for their turn.

When a swimmer gets tired, another plunges, making a tag for the exchange to be official and in order to continue to race.

The Dadiangas Torpedoes received P30,000 as 2006 champion. MJ Powerpines won P7,500 while third-placer Maasim Swim Team bagged P5,000.

On May 31, 2007, seven teams finished in record fashion with the Dadiangas Torpedoes A successfully defending their title with a record time of 2:50:15.23 hours and received P40,000.
MJ Fighters B finished second (2:55:01.29 hours) and went home with P25,000 while the Tinoto Dolphins came in third to claim P10,000. (SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)