After months of intensive planning and coordination meetings to ensure a remarkable hosting stint, the Mindanao Association of State Tertiary Schools Inc. (MASTS) Friendship Games 2022 has finally kicked-off on November 5, 2022, with the opening of its Socio-Cultural Festival feature at Davao Oriental State University Grandstand. This is the second time (the first one was in 2014 when it was still a state college) that Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU), in partnership with the City of Mati and the Province of Davao Oriental, is hosting this annual sports meet, which is attended by thousands of students from various tertiary state colleges and universities from across Mindanao.
“The theme “Rising above the challenges of the pandemic and gearing toward the future” articulates our brave and forward-looking resolve to a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world,” stated DOrSu President Dr, Roy Ponce as he expounded how challenging and complex it is to organize such a big event. He went on to highlight how the active cooperation of the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental and the City Government of Mati played a pivotal role in the event’s success.
“This fruitful relationship and unity among the province, city, and multiple agencies proved that solidarity and teamwork could usher us to greater heights,” Dr. Ponce added.
Governor Corazon Malanyaon echoed similar thoughts and commended the extensive collaboration between DOrSU, the City of Mati, and the Province of Davao Oriental, which laid a strong foundation for the success of the MASTS Games 2022. In her message to the MASTS Socio-Cultural Delegates, the Governor revealed that when she accepted the challenge to co-host the games, she is not only doing it for the benefit of the province but also for the Filipino nation, especially the people of Mindanao which has endured many global trials, including the social exclusions brought by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“Beyond Davao Oriental, it is our duty as Mindanaoans to foster peaceful and harmonious relationships and advance the ideals and aspirations of our people. This is the kind of benefit that we cannot measure economically; a kind of investment that profits not only the present but also the future generations,” Governor Malanyaon passionately expressed.
Present during the MASTS Socio-Cultural Festival Opening were Commissioner on Higher Education (CHED) Jo Mark M. Libre, DPA who served as the keynote speaker, Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat, Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Sangguniang Panlunsod.
The MASTS Friendship Games 2022, Mindanao’s biggest athletic gathering, is happening from November 5-13, 2022 at various locations in Mati City. Following the MASTS Cultural and Arts Competitions scheduled from November 5-8, 2022, the Sports Competitions will then take place on November 10-13, 2022 with the Grand Opening slated on November 10, 5:00 PM at DOrSU Oval Grounds. By Francis Moyoko Butulan | Photos by Mark Oliver Alvite
