CITY OF TABUK,Kalinga(PIA)-- The provincial government committed to provide more support to student athletes to boost the development of their skills and values.

Gov. James S. Edduba promised a bigger sports budget as the province hopes to improve its ranking in the annual Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Meet.

“I commit nga nu next year manen kitaen tayo manen ta nayunan tayo manen ti pondo tapnu karkaru kuma nga pumintas ti performance yu,” the governor said during the send-off program for the athletes to the 2024 CARAA in Apayao on  April 12.

“Ta ti kayat tayu kuma garud ket madevelop iti disiplina yu haan lang as an athlete but disiplina yu as a person,” Edduba said.

In the meantime, student athletes will receive food assistance amounting to P3,000 each as they compete in the 2024 edition of the sports competition in Apayao set on April 15 to 19. 

Edduba said the assistance is a portion of the P10 million financial aid sourced through House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The local chief executive said the assistance will be extended to student athletes of Tabuk City,  which is competing  in the CARAA Meet as a separate delegation by virtue of the creation of its own schools division.

Edduba led the send-off of the Kalinga delegation composed of 392 secondary and elementary student athletes from the seven municipalities.