MANILA — The Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE) has joined forces with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in holding the commission’s first-ever Friendship Games to be held next week in Marikina City.
The multi-sport tilt, dubbed “Balik Galaw, Balik Laro, at Palakasan,” will open in Marikina City on June 10, with students from public and private tertiary schools competing in different sports, including esports, specifically the hit gaming title Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Esports organization Galaxy Racer will also take part in the event.
“In a time when esports is slowly gaining ground as an internationally-recognized event, CHED’s decision to finally take a look at the booming discipline is certainly a shot in the arm for CCE as one of the sport’s movers,” CCE said in a statement dated Wednesday.
“It’s our utmost honor and pleasure to be a partner of CHED in championing the students’ role in our society through the booming Esports discipline this time around,” CCE commissioner Waiyip Chong said.
CCE president Stanley Lao hopes the partnership will be the start of “many more partnerships for the benefit of our student-athletes.”
“With CHED, we’ll work hand-in-hand by putting a premium on the advancement of not just esports but the entire collegiate sports scene,” he said.
CHED is looking to strengthen the partnership in the future, CHED sports project head and coach Ana Dulce Yango said, as the games will serve as a pilot test for the National Tertiary Games, touted as a collegiate equivalent to Palarong Pambansa.
CCE will roll out its first season on June 20.