The Philippine Coast Guard Dragon Boat Team opened the year with a back –to-back win at the “Sun Soaked 2016: Ilocos Sur Beach Fest,” hosted by Gov. Ronald V. Singson held at Cabugao Beach, Ilocos Sur last 30 January 2016.

The Sun Soaked Beach Fest is an annual event that includes Beach Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee and Dragon Boat racing.

This is the second time that Team PCG has competed in the event. Last year, Team PCG emerged the Champion with the Philippine Navy coming in second and Team Boracay All-Stars in the third place. This year, Team PCG successfully defended its championship title – and exceeded expectations by fielding not one, but two dragon boat teams to the event. The results are as follows:

It is worth mentioning that the other competitors in the field were the Philippine Navy Team A, Philippine Navy Team B, Philippine Army and the Boracay All-Stars. A total of eighteen (18) teams, composed of twenty-two (22) crew members, both men and women, participated in the 200-meter long race.

Team PCG Alpha is composed of organic personnel from different major units of the command, and Team PCG is a mix of organic personnel and draftees assigned to the Office of the Special Service. The Teams’ success is a testament to the invaluable support of the Command, from the highest ranked officers to the enlisted colleagues of the PCG athletes. This support allows Team PCG to put in all the necessary hours of hard training to excel amongst other teams from the government service.

This back-to-back win is only the beginning. Team PCG continues to train even harder as the Team prepares to face larger challenges in the 2016 Club Crew World Championships which will be held in Adelaide, Australia this March.