March 28, 2024

Dancesports teams from Baguio and Benguet proved their mettle anew with a combined win of one gold, three silver, and five bronze medals in the recent 2022 Philippine Superstars Open Dancesport Championship in San Juan City, Manila on weekend.

Mico Dumalos and Mark Gonzalo Benter of the Benguet Dancesports Team (BDT) blazed through the stage, as they topped the open duo adult besting other pairs from across the country.

Their teammates Jayson Abenoja and Leigh Rianne bagged the bronze medal in the grade D waltz tango category and fourth in the grade D waltz quickstep category.

The much younger TSJ Baguio dancesport team, meanwhile, made the city proud with Seth Matthew Bambalan leading the group with two silver medals he won in solo Latin juvenile jive and cha-cha-cha and added another bronze medal in the solo juvenile Latin samba.

The pair of Jordele Adia Salvatin and Maecy Jovylyn Fernando won a silver medal in juvenile Latin while Fernando’s tandem with Janneah Bildan in the juvenile duo led to one bronze medal.

Two more bronze medals were added by the team of Melchezedek Pinos-an and Adrianna Lorraine Gomez in the juvenile 1 couple and Yohana Ritos and Charvie Pobletin in the junior duo.

Also, the pair of Angel Grace Vallejos and Yvonne Jane Gosgos placed fourth in the duo juvenile Latin. 

The national dancesports competition gathered a total of 33 teams from all over the country.

Baguio and Benguet athletes are now preparing for the upcoming Palarong Pambansa of the Department of Education’s dancesports limited in-person competition on July 28. – Ofelia C. Empian