The Begin to Swim (BTS) Swimming Team, a grassroots swimming program based in Puerto Princesa and led by Head Coach Tinii Banzuela Cayetano, proudly represented Puerto Princesa Palawan with 23 young swimmers (ages 5–18) in three major competitions in Manila this June.
Competitions Attended:
- June 8 – Swim Wave Club Meet at Diliman, Quezon City
- June 12–15 – Philippine Aquatics Inc. (PAI) at Rizal Memorial Coliseum
- June 14 – Swim League Philippines (SLP Inc.) at Marikina Sports Complex
The team, composed of swimmers from Class A to D, competed against top-tier local and national teams and schools. They delivered an exceptional performance, bringing home a total of: 85 Gold 39 Silver 27 Bronze 17 Most Outstanding Swimmer (MOS) Awards Level-Up Awards (from Class D to C) The BTS team also clinched 2nd Place Overall at Philippine Aquatics Inc. and 3rd Place Overall at Swim League Philippines.
Coach Tinii Banzuela Cayetano shared “Last week was really fun and action packed and the result is really overwhelming. Our team really prepared for these competitions, and they just swam their heart out and gave their all to achieve their personal best times. We have a couple of local and international competitions lined up in the next few months. We are going to adjust our schedule since summer is finally over. We will try our best to compress our training program to make sure that the team will perform well for the next competition”.
One of the team’s supportive parents, Bryan John Dizon, whose children Javier Enrique and Josefa Isabel both brought home multiple medals, said: “It’s an emotional experience—from excitement and nervousness to pride and joy. Coach Tinii’s strategic and scientific approach is showing clear results. We’re grateful to both Coach Tinii and RV Cayetano for their dedication in developing our children’s potential. What BTS has created is truly something special.”
The BTS program, with its Learn to Swim to Competitive Class development pathway, is emerging as a top-tier training ground for aspiring swimmers in Puerto Princesa. With recent international participations in Hong Kong and Bangkok, Thailand, the team is gaining momentum as a rising force in Philippine swimming.
