TACLOBAN CITY- It was the first time that residents in Tacloban City were introduced to Dragon Boat Racing on Saturday, sparking hopes to form a local dragon racing team.

"We have been introducing the sport to different regions in the country, and now here in Leyte, it would be good if Region 8 would have it's own racing team someday," said Villa Decena, spokeswoman of Philippine Dragon Boat Team.
 
A mini mock-race was showcased by the Philippine Women's Team at the Tacloban coastline, a mere walking distance from the downtown area.  They also held an orientation and seminar to more than 30 locals from the region.
 
Decena said this was part of the team's regional tour to encourage Filipinos to take part in the sport. Dragon Boat Racing, a paddling sport, has not been much-hyped in the Philippines, despite having a national team both in men and women divisions.

"These teams have already competed internationally like in the different countries in Asia. The Philippine Men's team, on the other hand, now holds a record and deemed as a world champion garnering the gold medal in Sydney on 2007," she revealed.
 
The Philippine Dragon Boat Federation is slowly introducing the sport to the public and has already gone to the different places in the country like Surigao, Bohol, Zamboanga, Camarines Sur and most recently in Tacloban.