‘PADDLES UP’: UP Dragonboat Team joins Iloilo River Dragon Boat Fest 2025

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Story and photos by Mariela Angella Oladive

The University of the Philippines Dragonboat Team (UPDT) returned to Iloilo waters as one of 19 elite squads competing in the Iloilo River Dragon Boat Festival 2025, held Sept. 5–7 along a 200-meter course on the city’s iconic river.

The team last raced in Iloilo in 2013, and its participation this year highlighted both continuity and a renewed vision as one of the country’s collegiate pioneers in the sport.

UP Visayas Chancellor Clement Camposano expressed full support for the squad.

“UPDT is an existing team based in Diliman, with members from UP Diliman and UP Manila,” he said.

“It may be one of the lesser-known teams of the university, but dragon boat racing is a promising sport where Filipinos can excel. That’s why we are fully invested and supportive.”

He said the sport reflects UP’s broader academic priorities.

“We are in the process of creating an Archipelagic Ocean Virtual University for UP,” he said.

“Sports like dragon boat racing help focus attention on our waterways and seas, and on the need to make them more productive and sustainable. Promoting this sport also highlights our maritime domain.”

Camposano added that dragon boat racing offers opportunities for the country to build a stronger international presence, provided there is sustained support, public engagement and steady athlete recruitment.

He emphasized the need to popularize the sport to ensure its growth, noting that festivals like the one in Iloilo not only boost tourism but also strengthen the city’s reputation as a sporting venue.

Founded in 1993, UPDT is the only remaining collegiate member of the Philippine Canoe-Kayak Federation.

Over the years, it has represented the country in international competitions, earning medals at events such as the Paoay Dragon Boat Competition (2018), the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival (2017), the Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival, and the Puerto Princesa International Club Crew Championships (2016).

Head coach Christopher Ian Ulpindo, a 15-year paddling veteran now in his third year as coach, described racing in Iloilo as uniquely challenging.

“The teams here are very competitive,” he said.

“In Manila, we usually face the same squads, but in Iloilo we race against crews from different provinces. This is only our second time here—the first was in 2013—and the festival is now more organized with stronger government and private sector support.”

For Ulpindo, the long-term objective is to establish UPDT as the leading dragon boat club in the Philippines.

“It’s still a long way off, but I’m glad that all our paddlers share this goal,” he said.

Team president Micah Faith Marcial, who has been with the squad for eight years, said the sport has helped members balance their academic and professional lives.

Currently a speech-language pathologist, she said her involvement with UPDT has strengthened her ability to manage responsibilities and instilled discipline—especially through early morning training sessions that often start at 4 a.m.

She also expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended by the organizers and the UP Visayas community.

Looking ahead, Marcial said the team is fundraising to purchase an additional boat to accommodate its growing membership.

Student-athletes also shared personal stories of growth within the team.

Fourth-year psychology student Roland Danielle Lusterio, who has been paddling for two years, said he first discovered the sport through a video online.

“At first I wasn’t familiar with dragon boat racing, but when I started training, I found myself continuing,” he said.

“It’s enjoyable to train with the team.”

For Lusterio, discipline means maintaining a balance between academics and athletics.

“We are students before athletes—when we train, we focus on training, and when we study, we focus on studying.”

He encouraged those interested in the sport to give it a try, saying commitment and effort will determine whether it’s a good fit.

Public administration major Ashanti Nicole Sha, a fourth-year student who has been with the team for nine months, described dragon boat racing as a new but fulfilling challenge.

“It’s really worth the time and effort,” she said.

“The community is amazing—you get to meet people from different backgrounds and work together as one.”

Already in her fourth competition with the team, Sha said success requires both discipline and persistence.

She urged aspiring athletes to overcome hesitation.

“If you’re interested in the sport, just do it. There’s nothing we can’t learn—you just have to keep showing up.”

Other participating crews included the Philippine Navy Dragon Boat Team, Boracay Dragonforce, Gladiators Dragon Boat Team Davao, Iloilo Paddlers Club, Seahawks PH, and several other seasoned groups competing across different categories.