Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU opens UniGames 2026

By Myrrha Prima Rosa Muli

Amid the heat, student-athletes, artists, coaches, trainers, and officials of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) assembled at the Sunken Garden on October 6 for the opening day of the annual Unigames, marking the start of this year’s battle for athletic and cultural supremacy.

With this year’s theme “Transcend,” the Unigames gathers competing teams from the university’s 14 academic colleges which include the Graduate School (GS) Masters; College of Law (COL) Defenders; College of Medicine (COM) Titans; College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Grey Wolves; College of Dentistry (COD) Fairies; College of Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology (CASAT) Blue Marlins; College of Computing and Information Sciences (CCIS) Phoenix; College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Wizards; College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) Tamaraws; College of Engineering (COE) Fighting Maroons; College of Health Sciences (CHS) Knights; College of Business, Economics and Accountancy (CBEA) Eagles; College of Industrial Technology (CIT) Red Lions; and the College of Teacher Education (CTE) Rabbis.

For his challenge, University President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr., shared the story of Derek Redmond, a 1992 Barcelona Olympics 400-meter sprinter who “transcended” and finished his race in spite of an injury he incurred mid-race.

Drawing from the story, Dr. Manzano emphasized that, just as this year’s theme, “Transcend”, the athletes must also transcend despite exhaustion, fallbacks, and challenges they might encounter during the competitions. “When you are tired, transcend. When you fall behind, transcend. When you fall again, you rise, and you transcend. Go beyond yourself; that is the meaning of TRANSCEND,” he said.

MMSU Student Regent Hon. Danniel James Corales also addressed his fellow students, recognizing their spirit, hard work, routine, and enthusiasm. “Today is not only about winning. Ditoytayo nga ipakita ken ipagpanpannakel ti kusto a pigsa, laing, ken puso dagiti Stallions. (This is where we show and take pride in the strength, excellence, and heart of the Stallions.)”

Meanwhile, the symbolic athletic urn was ignited during the torch-lighting ceremony led by April Ann Garcia, a 2025 National State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association Women’s Shot Put gold medalist, as the torchbearer.

The flame was then passed to MMSU Vice Presidents Dr. Aris Cajigal (Academic Affairs), Dr. Mee Jay Domingo (Planning and Strategic Foresight), and Dr. Bjorn Santos (Resource Generation and Management).

Precious Elysha Tabangcura, who placed second during the PASUC National Culture and the Arts Festival, led the Oath of Amateurism on behalf of all participating athletes, while Vice President for Administration and Finance, Dr. Fides Bernardo Bitanga, led the Technical Official Pledge.

Among this year’s opening highlights is the celebration of the first birthday of Em-Em, the official MMSU mascot, who was introduced during the Unigames Opening Day last year.