The youth are known to be strong, vibrant, and ambitious while Ilocanos are fabled for their rigid work ethic, resilience, discipline, and prudence. Thus, being young and Ilocano sets the perfect background to being a successful athlete.

We are holding this year’s SCUAA-I Meet against a backdrop of recent phenomena which tested the Filipino spirit. Already reeling from the financial gloom in the local and global economies, our region was severely hit by typhoons, sustaining losses in life, property, and livelihood. There is strong evidence that climate change, brought forth by the destruction of nature, aggravated the calamity.

Yet it is precisely in trying times like these that the indomitable human spirit emerges in might and splendor. Fueled by the Bayanihan spirit, Filipinos have manifested a brand of ‘teamwork’ rarely seen in this era of disunity and fragmentation. These recent events have also urged us to strike a balance between development and environmental protection.

It is instructive to note that sports, dating back to the ancient times, began more for human beings’ quest to master nature than it was for fun and recreation. The first sportsmen knew that only when they are in sync with nature can they realize how fast they can run, how high they can leap, how strong they can wrestle, and how well they can recover from injury.

In life as in sports, excellence is measured, not by the quantity of medals and trophies one has acquired, but by the extent a person, in synergy with his fellowmen, hurdles life’s challenges. The true sportsman defies limitations and surpasses expectations, fully cognizant that the true competition is played not against others, but with the self.

Zooming for excellence, far from being an annual undertaking, should thus permeate everyday human existence. The values we glean from sports prove useful from the corners of the playing courts to the larger world where opportunities for greater, nobler endeavors present themselves. That the five member institutions of SCUAA-I have made their mark as model institutions of higher learning in the country proves this point.

To our young Ilocano athletes, the world is your playground, and life is your playing time. Remember that when you hit a home run, score a triple, or cross the finish line ahead of the pack, you are unleashing your nature, your heritage of excellence. With your perseverance, the Ilocos Region will continue to be a force to reckon with in larger sports arenas, and beyond.

To all delegates and officials, welcome to Mariano Marcos State University. It is our pleasure to host this yearly sporting event, hoping that your stay in our campus will be both rewarding and meaningful.