15/10/2025
πππππ'π πππππππ: π
πππ π πππππ
π πππππππ-πππππππππ ππ ππππππππππππ πππππππππππππ ππππππππ πππππ
In just over a year, Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) student-volunteer Lara De Lara, who goes by her shoutcaster name βSunby,β transcended from shoutcasting in the CESAFI Esports League (CEL) to becoming the first Cebuana talent to shoutcast in the Filipino broadcast of the recently concluded Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Paris 2025.
The rapid rise of the 23-year-oldβs shoutcasting career began last year during the CEL 2024 preseason tournament, back when she was a student at the University of San Carlos.
Lara was already part of CELβs past seasonsβshe was a member of the production and media departments before transitioning to shoutcasting.
She expressed her interest in shoutcasting to CESAFI Executive Director Ryan Balbuena during a get-together with fellow CEL student-volunteers.
βI wanted to talk to Kuya Ryan about trying something new since I was part of the media and production before. I told him that I wanted to try casting, and he supported my choice,β she shared.
βI'm very happy that Kuya Ryan is supportive of what I wanted to try,β she added.
Lara's first time shoutcasting a Valorant game in the CEL was during the 2024 preseason playoffs. She recalled being very nervous during her first shoutcast.
βI remember being so nervous because although I do play Valorant, it is not at a level where I can fully understand the mechanics of the game,β she expressed.
After her first shoutcast, she told Balbuena that she wanted to back down from shoutcasting and transfer as a host instead. However, Balbuena encouraged Lara to continue her shoutcasting journey.
With the encouragement she received, Lara decided to push through with shoutcasting. She began doing her own research and taking important notes about the game and the stories of the teams competing in the CEL to add to her shoutcasting arsenal in preparation for CEL Season 3.
During the third season of the CEL, Lara already had a deeper understanding of the game and found an even greater appreciation for shoutcasting.
βI spent days and nights researching about the teams and how they play. After that, it went by pretty well, and I realized how much I love shoutcasting,β she said.
βAs a gamer, I love immersing myself in everything, and being a commentator for a game that people love nowadays is just surreal,β she added.
Lara's dedication and passion did not go unnoticed. Her talent caught the attention of the Filipino broadcast team for the international Valorant tournament VCT, and she was asked to shoutcast for the Filipino broadcast of VCT Stage 1.
βThe day came when I was approached to cast for VCT Stage 1, and the director (Darwin Castro) told me that it was going to be in Tagalog,β she shared.
Lara hesitated at first because she was not used to shoutcasting in Tagalog.
βI was hesitant because I don't speak Tagalog at allβI'm genuinely bad at it,β she admitted.
βBut I told myself, why would I say no to this? As my mom always tells me, βstrike whilst the iron is hot,β and I did. I'm not going to let my weakness be a weakness; I'm going to turn it into a strength,β she added.
To prepare for her first VCT shoutcasting, Lara hired a tutor to teach her the Tagalog language and also received help from her friends.
Lara studied the language diligently, immersing herself in Tagalog TV shows and conversing with people using the Tagalog language.
Aside from studying the language, she also learned about the stories of the teams competing in the tournament.
Eventually, shoutcasting the VCT Stage 1 went well for Lara.
βIt went great. I remember the first few minutes I was shoutcasting in English, so the director reminded me to shoutcast in Tagalog,β she shared.
After successfully shoutcasting for VCT Stage 1, she was invited again to shoutcast for Stage 2.
βI had so much fun, and I started to get the hang of speaking Tagalog because I was practicing more. I can really compare myself between shoutcasting in Stage 1 and Stage 2βthere was really a big difference,β said Lara.
Lara admitted that she received a lot of comments about her Tagalog. However, she did not take it negatively and instead expressed how proud she is of being a Cebuano.
βI did get a lot of comments about why my Tagalog is bad, but I don't mind. I think people need to realize that the Philippines does not only speak the Tagalog language,β she expressed.
βI didn't take it negatively; I took it as a lesson and told myself to improve my Tagalog more,β she added.
Lara's biggest achievement yet in her shoutcasting career was when she flew to Manila to shoutcast for the Filipino broadcast of VCT Paris 2025.
βOne of my biggest achievements was getting to shoutcast the recently concluded VCT Paris 2025. I flew to Manila despite a stormβI wanted to push through with the shoutcasting,β she said.
βThis is the highest level of Valorant. When the director told me to shoutcast for it, I felt a lot of pressure,β she added.
Despite feeling the pressure, Lara enjoyed every moment of shoutcasting for the highest level of Valorant competition.
Last Friday, October 10, Lara shoutcast another massive Valorant tournamentβthe VCT Game Changers Pacificβadding another achievement to her already decorated shoutcasting career.
Lara's journey from a CESAFI student-volunteer to shoutcasting prestigious Valorant tournaments is a story that inspires young talents to believe in themselves.
Although shoutcasting for international tournaments is different from shoutcasting collegiate tournaments, she never let go of the lessons she learned from shoutcasting in the CEL.
βKuya Ryan always pushed me to be myself and continue with what I do during my time as a student-volunteer in the CEL. That meant bringing the things that I'm doing in the CEL to the VCT,β she shared.
Lara's advice to aspiring shoutcasters who want to try collegiate and international shoutcasting is to be themselves and be passionate about what they do.
βTo those who are aspiring shoutcasters out there, just be yourself, be humble, do what you love, and be passionate about the game. If you're not passionate about something, then there's no life in doing it,β she said.
β
Words by Marlon Ado Jr.
Photo by Yamato Daichi
Layout by Deen Vheilca Glee Lapulapu
