08/03/2026
AFTER THE APPLAUSE:
The Hearts and Hands Behind Northern Samar’s EVRAA Triumphs
Who remains when the flashes fade and the applause falls silent? Who are the faces behind the spectacle once the cheers have died away? As the EVRAA 2026 closes, not everyone will return home bemedaled. Some are hardly recognized.
In the past days or even weeks, jubilation and disappointments were a common sight. Some days culminated in the victories of athletes and coaches, while others fell just short of the finish line.
Yet an undertaking as sought-after as the annual EVRAA does not rise on medals and cheers alone. It stands just as firmly on the shoulders of those who work in the background, whose labor may be unseen yet indispensable toward the attainment of the ultimate objectives.
The 21 Enduring Soldiers of the Norte Kitchen
“We cannot be seen tired. That would make the food less palatable,” said Jocelyn M. Lutao of Pambujan I Central School, recalling her decades of service with the Food Preparation and Kitchen Management Committee of the Northern Samar delegation. Since 1991, she has quietly carried out this role with dedication, from across levels of the annual sporting series.
Together with twenty other members of the committee, under the leadership of EPS-TLE Lucinda R. Balondo, Lutao helps ensure that athletes, coaches, and other members of the delegation never enter the arena weak with hunger or fatigue. Their task may appear humble, even unseen, yet it is no less vital to the campaign of every Northern Samar athlete who steps into competition.
Their day begins long before the first whistle blows. As early as two o'clock in the morning, while most of the delegation is still deep in slumber, the kitchen is already alive with movement. By the time the athletes stir awake to greet another day of the competition, meals are already prepared and waiting.
The routine stretches late into the evening, often ending around ten at night. While others surrender to a well-earned rest, these twenty-one steadfast workers remain on their feet to ensure that every member of the delegation is fed and ready for the next day’s battles.
Theirs is work that rarely invites applause. Long hours are spent over hurried preparations, but they greet every mealtime with steady hands and cheerful faces, careful never to betray even the faintest trace of exhaustion.
Their burden is eased in part by the assistance of personnel from the Provincial Government of Northern Samar (PGNS), who ensure that provisions arrive promptly and that the kitchen never runs short of supplies.
The Medics' Oath: Return Them Whole
In a brief conversation, Dr. Warren L. Otadoy, Division's Medical Officer and Chair of the delegation's Medical and Emergency Response, distilled the guiding philosophy of his team into a line that resonates with both gravity and reassurance: “Bug-os kam nga ginhuram sa iyo kag-anak, bug-os kam nga mabalik.” Roughly translated, the message is simple: the athletes are entrusted to them whole, and whole they must be returned.
It is a sentiment that strikes a reassuring chord, especially for parents who place their trust in the delegation and allow their children to carry the banner of the Norte Eagles in their respective sporting events.
Together with a team of nurses stationed across the playing venues, Dr. Otadoy ensures that every medical concern, minor or critical, is promptly addressed and given proper attention.
As a test, their vigilance once proved decisive when a basketball player from the delegation faced the grave risk of losing the use of his left arm. Through the swift response of the medical team, and in coordination with the medical corps of Baybay City, the athlete received immediate care that helped avert a far more serious outcome.
Some, Dr. Otadoy notes with a wry smile, stem from the playful exuberance of young athletes or from lapses in maintaining proper cleanliness and discipline.
Looking ahead, he expressed hope that future delegations will be equipped with a more ample supply of medicines and medical materials. Such support, he said, would greatly ease the burden on participants who sometimes have to dip into their own pockets to ensure that athletes receive the care they need.
The Wheels and Wares of the Games
One could not even bother ask how did those striking tangerine-colored uniforms worn with pride during the EVRAA opening arrive so neatly prepared? And how did Baybay City, hundreds of kilometers away, become so reachable for the Norte Eagles? Credit belongs to the steadfast work of the Supply and Equipment Team and the Transportation Team, led by Head Teacher Adonis Fel U. Flores and Principal Freddie B. Ortenero, respectively.
Behind the scenes, their personnel worked tirelessly to ensure that every delegate received what was due to them: uniforms, gear, and other logistical necessities required for a campaign of this scale.
Just as crucially, they made certain that athletes, coaches, and other delegates were transported safely from their hometowns to Baybay City and to their respective venues on time and ready for competition.
It may come simple for some but sorting through hundreds of records of shoe sizes, body measurements, and other personal details demands patience and precision, all to ensure that what reaches each athlete is exactly what they need. Serving more than 800 members of the delegation, each with individualized requirements, is no small feat especially when supplies arrive late and schedules grow tighter by the day.
To move such delegation is to move what amounts to a small barangay. Imagine transporting such a community over 400 kilometers, safely and efficiently, from one point to another. Yet this daunting task was carried through with remarkable coordination, thanks to Mr. Ortenero and his team of dedicated drivers.
And when the games conclude and the journey home begins, there is little doubt about whom to look for. When it comes to arranging the road back, he is the man who keeps the wheels turning.
The Secretariat: The Engine of Organization
Behind every smoothly run delegation is the Secretariat led by Principal Rufino I. Beso, the team that keeps schedules, room assignments, identifications, logistics, and communication running like clockwork. They are the quiet engine that ensures no detail is left unattended.
While the games demand attention on the field, it is the Secretariat who ensures that every announcement is timely, every form is in order, and every contingency has a plan. Without them, the pulse of Northern Samar’s EVRAA campaign would falter as the backbone of a winning delegation often beats in offices and meeting rooms.
The LRPD: Your Guardians of Safety
When young athletes step into competition, their focus is on the game, but the Learner Rights and Protection Desk makes sure they can play without fear. Acting as advocates, guides, and safety nets, they ensure that every learner is treated with dignity, that their rights are respected, and that any concern is addressed swiftly.
Thanks to the effort of Mr. Mark Manalo, and his team of child-rights advocates that the Norte Eagles are LRPDfied!
The DRRM Team: Ready for Anything
No sports event is entirely free of risk, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Team stands ready to meet the unexpected. Mr. Medardo Baylon III and his team were at it!
Their work is often invisible until the moment it is needed most—a quiet preparedness that allows athletes, coaches, and organizers to focus on the competition, confident that any challenge will be met with professionalism and care. In every sense, they are the calm in the storm, the safety net behind the spectacle.
Your Ibabao Chronicle: We Let the World See You!
Of course, there’s the team who tells the world about your unforgettable, commendable moments: the Division Ibabao Chronicle, the official publication of the Division of Northern Samar headed by EPS Dr. Felix Ladeño.
We waited at your contest venues, snapped that perfect moment in time (and made it shine—just like Whitney Houston 😜), and shared it with everyone through the print and virtual space. Because you deserve it—till the printers broke!
Thank you for letting us be part of your EVRAA journey and for entrusting us with your most vulnerable moments. There’s nothing quite like covering stories that are hard-fought and rightly earned as it’s in those moments that the Chronicle team lives for.
Have you read our latest issue yet? Who knows, maybe your faces are plastered on it. Cheers!
The publication pauses to pay tribute and offer honor. You may go unnamed in headlines, yet your efforts have not gone unnoticed. For all that you did to make this event possible, thank you. You are the hands and the hearts, that carried Northern Samar forward.
As a tribute to your dedication, here are glimpses of you the world deserves to see!
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Texts by Hermie Visaya
Phtoos by Makoi Alemania Jazmin & John Chister Jazmin
