The Philippine Canoe and Kayak Federation (PCKF) delivered a series of events to mark the first Moving Forward Paddling Week.
The initiative was announced by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2024 alongside the International Canoe Federation Dragon Boat World Championships, aiming to promote the island nation as a premier paddling destination and encourage paddling as a sport and leisure activity.
It was a debut for SUP at the National Games, after which the 4th Puerto Princesa International Dragon Boat Festival took place on October 25 and 26, with ICF Dragon Boat Committee Chair Dr. Wai-Hung Luk attending the opening of the National Games.
This year, celebrations began at Puerto Princesa City Baywalk, which hosted the Philippine National Games on October 23 and 24.
The Games featured ICF disciplines Dragon Boat and Stand Up Paddling, and Canoe Sprint, with SUP making its debut.
Around 800 paddlers from 15 teams across the Philippines, including one each from Singapore and Malaysia, participated in the tournament, with the winners receiving a maximum prize of more than €5000.
Last month also saw the city of Puerto Princesa win an award in the “Best Tourism Event - Highly Urbanised City” category for the successful delivery of the Dragon Boat World Championships.
Adding to the legacy of the event, PCKF had conducted a Level 1 Dragon Boat coaching seminar earlier this year, while Puerto Princesa continued to work on “Paddle Together for Climate Action”, a campaign aimed at raising awareness of climate issues and promoting sustainable practices.
As part of it, multiple cleanup drives along coastal areas were conducted at the Manila Docksite, Legaspi City, and other locations.
Other activities, such as Mangrove Tree Planting along the Hibatang River in Oquendo Poblacion, Calbayog City, set an example of how local action can fuel global change.
The PCKF and the city of Puerto Princesa hope these initiatives promote sustainable sports tourism and help coastal communities that are facing rising sea levels, shoreline erosion, and loss of access to traditional waterways.
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