ILIGAN CITY (PIA)--About 50 off-road enthusiasts from different parts of Mindanao gathered here to showcase their skills in driving their 4x4 vehicles on specially designed tracks under Mandulog Bridge, Barangay Hinaplanon in this city, September 23.

As part of the month-long celebration of the Diyandi Festival, the Iligan Off-roaders organized the event with support from Rainbird Adventures, Tibo Martinez Multimedia Productions, MotoLab, the city government, the Office of Iligan Lone District Representative Celso Regencia, and more.

The DIYANDI 4x4 off-road challenge is a thrilling competition that puts 4-wheeled drive vehicles to the ultimate test, conquering any terrain thrown their way. Some participants came from as far as Digos City,Davao del Sur, Dipolog City,Zamboanga del Norte, and nearby provinces like Lanao del Sur.

The competition featured various categories catering to all levels of expertise, namely newbie, production, and modified categories that featured custom-built machines. Racers needed to be the fastest at finishing the track to win.

Tibo Martinez, the event organizer and a member of Iligan Offroaders, shared the motivation behind the DIYANDI 4x4 Off-road Challenge. He emphasized that, besides the thrill of the race, the real prize lies in the satisfaction of participation.

"Kalingawan ra jud ang tuyo ani, satisfaction bali [The main goal here is just to have fun, for satisfaction]," he said.

Patrick John Peñas, a racer in the production category who came from Digos City together with his father-in-law, highlighted their passion for off-roading. He mentioned that the sport had become a hobby they deeply loved. Their journey started with a machine shop and a group of like-minded enthusiasts in Digos City.

They soon realized the importance of testing their vehicles in actual off-road conditions to identify shortcomings and make necessary improvements.

Patrick, who had been engaged in off-roading since 2018, shared that the pandemic had slowed their progress but not their passion. They continued modifying their units and, despite occasional breakdowns, found immense joy in the off-road experience.

"Bahala'g di ko kadaog, happy jud ko. Wala ko nag-apas sa cash prize, ang akoa ra jud kay ang enjoyment. Lahi ra jud ang ma-feel while inside a race track [Even if I do not win, I am genuinely happy. I did not expect the cash prize; what matters to me is the enjoyment. It is a different kind of feeling while on the race track]," he said.

Off-roaders’ passion drives them to keep going, regardless of the expenses involved, and they truly value the unique joy they experience while on the race track. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)