(From BusinessWorld (Philippines))

Two four-angler Philippine teams, will represent the Philippine Game Fishing Foundation (PGFF) and the Sport Fishing Federation of the Philippines (SFFP) in the "grandfather of all big game fishing tournaments" - the 43rd Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) - on August 3- 10, 2002 at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

SFFP SecGen Mark Rosales, captains SFFP Team Philippines with Jonathan Joson, Edwin Tecson and actor-sportsman Richard Gomez. The PGFF team captained by Alberto H. Lingayo Sr., an LRA official and two-time Angler of the Year, includes his son Lingayo Jr., Jaime Ma. O. Flores and Roberto S. Rodriguez.

Lingayo fought an estimated 450-pounder leaping Blue Marlin for about 40 minutes in the HIBT2000 as team- mates Rosales, Joson and wife Bella cheered him on before it broke line. Bert Azana, '99 PGFF prexy and '97 Angler of the Year, landed the biggest marlin, 543 lbs and placed PGFF 7th in HIBT'94. It's the biggest Pinoy Marlin since 1969 when Conrad Antonio blazed the HIBT trail with a 300-pounder on 130-lb test.

Before Azana, the all-tackle Pinoy record was Gen. Vic Osias' 314 lbs. set 1977. In 1978, Mrs. Pat Osias, (Asian Queen of Billfishing for her Wahine Award) and Vic Villafuerte had three Marlins for a 12th place finish.

SFFP president VicVic V. Villavicencio had his first Marlin, 126.5 kg in 1984, on his first Kona trip as PGFF president. Their six-man team (five neophytes and 60-year-old Kona veteran Clem Lam who fought for 6 hours but lost an estimated 600-700-pounder), caught five marlins at 909 points for 14th place overall. Forty-one (41) of the 71 teams competing caught 112 marlins.

Last year was also one of the most prolific HIBT. All teams caught at least a fish - 72 fish were caught (57 Marlins, 13 Spearfish and two Ahi). This year could also be busier as two granders (1000-pounder marlins) and some 700-pounders were recently landed by HIBT charter boats in Kona.