Some 60 adventure racers hoping to bag the R1-million top prize in the Island Paradise Adventure Race (IPAR)-Visayas Leg or IPAR2 of the Department of Tourism (DoT) will be flagged off today at the Agrifina Circle in Rizal Park, Manila.
IPAR is the biggest adventure race event in the Philippines today in terms of the size of its coverage area and the prizes offered (
R1M for the champion, R300,000 and R100,000 for the 2nd and third placers, respectively). It is staged by the DoT in coordination with the various local government units (LGUs), which hope to promote tourist sports in their localities, and corporate sponsors.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said the DoT intends to popularize and institutionalize IPAR into a bi-annual adventure race event, and make it one of its products in promoting the country as an adventure tourism destination and a safe, fun place to visit.
The initial IPAR or Luzon leg was held in May this year. It featured 16 teams that used 4x4 vehicles to cover some 2,000 kilometers from Manila through 11 provinces in Northern Luzon and back to Manila in nine days. The localities that served as checkpoints and pit stops for the adventure racers used the event to showcase their unique culture, products, and tourist sports. Unlike IPAR1 (Luzon Leg), IPAR2 will be a race of two-man teams of backpackers. The racers will rely on the various public transport modes – LRT, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, ROROs, ferries, etc. – to bring them to their daily destinations, where festive atmospheres have been assured by the hosts LGU officials.
The racers will trek more than 2,000 kilometers of road networks and the Strong Republic Nautical Highway from Manila through Southern Tagalog (Laguna and Batangas), Oriental Mindoro, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental and Oriental, Bohol and Cebu in nine days.
In between the destinations or pitstops, the racers will visit mandatory check-points to hurdle physical and mental challenges to get clues and gain points. The challenges are fashioned to highlight the tourism potentials of the localities serving as check-points and pitstops.
The flag-off ceremonies will be led by Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab. Other DoT and Manila’s officials are expected to grace the occasion, which has also been so designed to usher in the celebration of Christmas in the country.
Meanwhile, the City Government of Cebu City has announced that it will host the grand awarding ceremony and party for the IPAR2 racers on Dec. 18 at the Ayala Center.
IPAR2 and all the human drama and festivities attending it will be covered by Studio 23 of the ABS-CBN Radio-TV network Group. A TV special on this unique tourism-oriented adventure race will be aired in February next year.
