Central Mindanao University Academic Paradise of the South
After the week-long Mindanao Association of State Tertiary Schools (MASTS) Friendship Games and Socio-Cultural Festival held in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, from October 26 to 31, 2025, the Central Mindanao University (CMU) community proudly celebrated the outstanding achievements of its student delegates by recognizing them during the monthly convocation and flag-raising ceremony on November 3, 2025.
The recognition underscored their dedication, talent, and sportsmanship, which were showcased throughout the MASTS Friendship Games and Socio-Cultural Competition. The CMU delegation consisted of 228 athletes, 30 coaches, and 4 sports staff for the sports events. In contract, the socio-cultural delegation comprised 100 student performers and artists, supported by 22 coaches and staff members.
Competing against 35 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Central Mindanao University (CMU) secured 8th place in the sports category and an impressive 4th place in the socio-cultural competition.
Overall Summary for Sports Category
The university achieved strong and historic performances across multiple events in the recent MASTS Games, earning medals and high rankings in numerous sports.
Arnis delivered strong results with 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. In athletics, the team secured a bronze medal, while badminton had an impressive showing earning two silver medals in the Men’s Doubles event. Baseball finished with nine bronze medals, securing a third-place ranking. The basketball teams had strong performances, with the 5×5 squad making it to the quarterfinals and the 3×3 team ranked 10th. In biking, Roi Adrian Palabrica made history with the first-ever entry in Mountain Biking (MTB), placing 4th in XCE and 8th in XCO, and ranking #1 in Region X in both categories.
In chess, the men’s team ranked 11th while the women’s team secured 5th place. The dancesport competitors also stood out, with the Modern Standard team making the top 12 and the Latin team finishing 4th and 5th. In e-sports, the men’s Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) team earned five bronze medals, while the women’s CODM team dominated, winning five golds and claiming the overall championship. The men’s Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) team reached the quarterfinals, and the women finished in 5th place.
The football team made it to the quarterfinals, while the futsal team placed 4th. In Karatedo, the men’s team took home 4 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 3 bronze medals, and the women’s team earned 5 silver medals and 1 bronze medal. Lawn tennis saw a historic all-CMU finals in singles, where the team took home 1 gold and 1 silver. In Pencak Silat, the men’s team won 5 bronze medals, and the women earned 1 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Pickleball had an exciting tournament, with 5 silver medals and 1 bronze medal, including 3 championship match appearances. Sepak Takraw had 2 wins and 2 losses but did not advance. In softball, the team earned 9 bronze medals, and swimming delivered solid performances, with the men’s team winning 10 silver medals and the women’s team securing 3 silver medals and 6 bronze medals. In table tennis, the men’s team bagged 1 gold medal, while the women’s team made history with 4 gold medals and 3 silver medals, including all-CMU championship finals in both singles and doubles. Finally, in taekwondo, the men earned 4 bronze medals and the women won 1 silver medal.
Both men’s and women’s volleyball teams reached the quarterfinals, with the women’s team ranking 1st in Region 10.
Notable achievements included historic firsts in lawn tennis and table tennis with all-CMU championship matches. The biking team, particularly Roi Adrian Palabrica, demonstrated outstanding individual performances, ranking #1 in Region X for MTB. The e-sports women’s CODM team stood out as overall champions, and both volleyball teams and the biking team maintained consistent top regional rankings.
Overall Summary for Socio-cultural Category
Meanwhile, in the MASTS 2025 Culture and Arts Competition, CMU showcased remarkable talent and creativity, earning recognition across multiple categories. The university secured 1st Place in the Show Choir category, 2nd Place in Mixed Choir, 2nd Place in Live Band, and 2nd Place in Classical Guitar. They also garnered 3rd Place in Bandurria and 3rd Place in Extemporaneous Speech.
Additional achievements include 4th Place in Storytelling, 4th Place in Ms. MASTS, 6th Place in Folk Dance, 7th Place in Quiz Bowl, 7th Place in Pencil Drawing, 7th Place in Charcoal Rendering, 7th Place in Poster Making, and 7th Place in Artistic Photography.
The university also achieved 8th Place in Street Dance, 9th Place in Kundiman, 11th Place in Vocal Duet, 11th Place in Essay Writing, 12th Place in Radio Drama, 13th Place in Indigenous Dance, 16th Place in Contemporary Dance, and 19th Place in Vocal Solo.
These accomplishments reflect CMU’s dedication to promoting excellence in culture and the arts, as well as the talent and passion of its student artists and performers.
Dr. Procopio B. Galendez, University Sports Coordinator, and Prof. Hannah Lovelle R. Abi-abi, University Socio-Cultural Coordinator, extended their heartfelt gratitude to the CMU administration, coaches, parents, and the entire CMU community for their unwavering support of the university’s participation in this year’s MASTS competition.
“We (sports category) did not make it to the top five this time, but we will come back stronger next year,” Dr. Galendez affirmed.
As the event concluded, CMU reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing well-rounded students and preparing them for even greater achievements in the next MASTS Friendship Games and Socio-Cultural Festival.
[Mary Jane D. Bravo with information from University Sports Coordinator and University Socio-cultural Coordinator]
