The City of Maasin extended warm hospitality to participants of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) 2025 on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, as one of the hosts and the second leg of the regional event. Athletes and coaches from across the region attended a solidarity conference, parade from the city plaza to the capitol sunken garden , opening program, and welcome night on February 27. The games proper took place from February 28 to March 3.
With the theme “EVRAA 2025: Bagong Lakas, Bagong Tagumpay,” the event highlighted the determination and excellence of Eastern Visayas’ athletes. Participants represented the 13 school divisions of the region, including Baybay City, Biliran, Borongan City, Calbayog City, Catbalogan City, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Maasin City, Northern Samar, Ormoc City, Samar, and Southern Leyte. Each delegation proudly wore their vibrant uniforms, adding color and energy to the competition.
As of the latest tally, Maasin City earned a total of 59 medals with 16 gold, 16 silver, and 9 bronze medals rom the Secondary Level; and 8 gold, 6 silver, and 4 bronze medals from the Elementary Level. Southern Leyte secured 21 medals with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 7 bronze from the Secondary Level and 2 silver and 6 bronze from the Elementary Level. In the overall medal rankings, Ormoc City topped the tally with 142 medals, followed by Maasin City with 59 medals, and Samar in third place with 57 medals.
Victorious athletes from EVRAA 2025 will go on to compete in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, which is set to take place in July in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
EVRAA 2025 was divided into three legs across different host cities. The first leg took place in Eastern Samar from February 22 to 25, where 2,842 athlete-learners competed in baseball, billiards, boxing, futsal, sepak takraw, softball, and table tennis. The second leg was held in Maasin City from February 26 to March 3, with 4,107 participants competing in arnis, badminton, basketball, chess, football, pencak silat, volleyball, and wushu. The third and final leg was hosted in Tacloban City from March 5 to 9, featuring archery, athletics, dancesport, gymnastics, special games, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, and wrestling, with 5,147 athlete-learners in attendance.
The Closing Program was also held in Tacloban City on March 9, 2025, marking the end of a successful EVRAA 2025. (DYbañez)
