Dinauanao’s five gold medals in Palaro fuels SEA Games dream

Mitchloni Dinauanao with her pair, Rodre Yan Rodriguez, during Palarong Pambansa 2025 in Ilocos Norte. | Photo from Tifanie Lopez

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The curtains have long closed in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, but for many of its young athletes, the journey is just beginning.

For Cebu’s most bemedalled campaigner, Mitchloni Dinauanao, the event was more than just a competition, but a crucial step toward a much bigger stage.

Dinauanao, a standout from the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, fell just one gold medal short of replicating her dominant six-gold haul from last year’s Palaro held in her hometown. Despite the odds, including a change of dance partner, she delivered an impressive performance that netted five gold medals and one silver for Central Visayas.

Competing in dancesport with new partner Rodre Yan Rodriguez, Dinauanao stayed composed under pressure and topped the Latin American events in samba, rumba, paso doble, jive, and the Latin overall category, while settling for silver in the cha-cha-cha.

SEA GAMES DREAM

“It’s always been my dream to represent the Philippines internationally and become a SEA Games champion,” said Dinauanao, who danced with Francis Dave Sombal in the 2024 Palaro held in Cebu.

She draws inspiration from fellow Cebuanos Pearl Marie Caneda, Wilbert Aunzo, and Angelo Marquez, who have all struck gold on the Southeast Asian Games.

Despite her past success, Dinauanao entered this year’s competition with reserved expectations. The challenge of building chemistry with a new partner in just two months meant her preparations were far from ideal.

“Wala gyud ko nag-expect nga mudaog mi balik,” she admitted.

(I never expected that I will win again.)

PRESSURE

“Lahi na akong partner sa school, and we only had around two months to prepare for Palaro kay naa mi original partner sa team. Gi-manage ra gyud namo among oras para maka-practice mi ni Reyan.”

(I had a different partner in school, and we only had around two months to prepare for Palaro because we have original partner in the team. We just tried to manage our time so I can practice with Reyan.)

“The pressure was real,” she added. “New connection, new routines, and people were expecting a lot from us.”

Still, Dinauanao didn’t shy away from the grind. In the weeks leading up to the Palaro, she trained twice a day, often going home late. She skipped gatherings with friends and family to focus fully on her goal. All those sacrifices paid off.

“Palarong Pambansa is one of the biggest competitions in the Philippines. Dream gyud ni sa tanan (That is a dream for all) athletes. I’m very grateful to have experienced it, not just once, but six times,” she shared.

“It’s extra special because I achieved a three-peat as an undefeated gold medalist in our category, the Latin division,” she added.

Dinauanao closed her campaign by dedicating the win to her family and to Dancesport Team Cebu City, whose unwavering support, she said, helped her become the best version of herself.