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Head coach Arnold Oglayon uses his reputation as the first gold medalist in any region in any sport to prepare his players to win taekwondo jins.
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines – The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was the overall taekwondo champion in 2025 National Games.
Towards the the current edition of sports in Agusan del SurHead coach Arnold Oglayon thought it would be a difficult task to play. Still, he wanted his players to try their best.
“This is Palaro. This is not a low competition, so everyone will be good…. We just try and try as hard as we can,” told Rappler on the sidelines of the poomsae event of the 66th Palarong Pambansa on Wednesday, May 27.
(This is Palaro. It’s not a small tournament, so everyone is nice…. We just try and try our best.)
In poomsae alone, though, CAR bagged four gold medals this year under his leadership. Oglayon was a Palaro athlete himself, and even gave the region his first gold medal in any sport – so the sky high at the annual event is something he is all too familiar with.
“Shinishare I said ‘This is your preparation.’ Even when I was teaching, I definitely knew that feeling. So you should also provide the situation within the court. It’s just training that’s different, it’s also different when you’re in court,” Oglayon shared an event.
(I share with my athletes how their preparation should be. Even when I teach, I know the feeling. So you have to give them a real situation on the court. It’s one thing to just practice, and another to be on the real court.)
“I am happy with the performance of my players because we really prepared. And the way we train in the gym is the same way we do on the field,” he added.
An uphill battle
But the road to gold was an uphill battle for Ryan Nabejet, Ross Damian, and Johann Ventura of the high school boys team. Nabejet represented CAR in the same category last year where they finished fourth – with Damian and Ventura set to join him for the first time this year.
The three marines had high expectations to fulfill.
“It’s a good feeling that we had to come back to our team and to CAR, and finishing in fourth place didn’t happen again,” Nabejet, a student at the University of Baguio, said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Fourteen-year-old Joniya Ysabelle Obiacoro had also prepared tirelessly for this year’s Palaro. He is now in his third year in the annual sports event, and even ranked first in the team category in 2023 edition in Marikina.
Before the 2026 Palaro, Obiacoro would train every day in Baguio, and when they traveled to Agusan del Sur a few days before the taekwondo tournament began, his training increased to twice a day.
Even then, it was a surprise when she finally won the gold medal in the girls’ individual category.
“I still feel shocked,” Obiacoro told Rappler shortly after his winning performance. “Actually, I have very high expectations because I am very confident. I am very grateful for everything. I am very grateful to my coaches, my parents and my relatives, and my teammates have told me to be.”
(I still feel shocked because my expectations were not so high. But I still believed in myself. I am very grateful for everything. I am very grateful to my coaches, my parents and relatives, and my teammates.)
CAR also won gold in the girls’ basic team event courtesy of Frances Hollie Nabejet, Zion Ysabelle Buenviaje, and Winter Niamh Scarlet Abuan. The province then got its fourth poomsae gold medal courtesy of Buenviaje in the girls’ freestyle category.
With the deep coaching in the hands of Oglayon and the talent of these young athletes to rise to the top, CAR’s dream of carrying another overall Palaro championship in taekwondo seems to be fulfilled. – Rappler.com
The finals of the kyorugi (sparring) section of the 2026 Palarong Pambansa taekwondo competition will be held on May 29 and 30.
