59th edition of the Palarong Pambansa ends

After a grueling week of intense competition, it is finally time to close the curtains on the 59th edition of the Palarong Pambansa 2016 at the Albay-Bicol Sports and Tourism Complex in Legazpi City, Albay.

The event started with the closing parade of all 18 regions followed by a parade of bands and pretty majorettes from various schools and universities in Albay.

Present for the closing ceremony were Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC; DepEd Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs, Tonisito M.C. Umali, Albay Governor Joey Salceda, and Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

#Palaro2016 UPDATES Final Day!

It has been a action-filled week here in Albay with the Palarong Pambansa 2016. And  we are now on the last day of the competition with the final medal tally for all event has been finalized. There was also several weird incidents that happened like the SPED athlete who got electrocuted, the cauldron minor explosion, and  other reported thefts.

Health and safety was also the top concern as the temperature is scorching hot, and with some concerns of water shortage in some billeting centers. There were also accounts of fist fights and heckling but they are still minimal and was resolved immediately.

Who is is the overall winner in the Palaro, check the medal tally below!

Nald: A kid with big ambitions

A small town kid with big ambitions, this is what best describes 17-year old Ronaldo “Nald” Dapena who is one of the members of the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) football team. He came from San Antonio, Delfin Albano, Isabela, which is considered as one of the poorest barrios in the area. The third of five siblings, Nald’s father works as a farmer while his mother works part-time at a local bakery. 

“Medyo mahirap din po ang buhay namin pero kahit paano po nakakaraos naman po kami sa pang araw-araw at kung may pagkakataon, tumutulong din po ako sa aking ama sa bukid,” says Nald.

Aware of their difficulties in life, Nald often finds solace in playing the sport he fell in love with at a young age, “Ten years old pa lang, naglalaro na ako ng football at madalas akong sumali sa Intramurals sa school. Nakapaglaro na din po ako sa mga Provincial Meets. Doon po ako nadiskubre ng coach po namin ngayon na si Mr. Alexander Tabubuca," says Nald.

CALABARZON Conquers Goalball Championship

Paragames is also alive in Palarong Pambansa 2016 Albay with the games opening opportunities to persons with disability (PWD). One game  which was recently concluded is the Goalball competition. Goal ball is a soccer-like game which has 3 members per team and has a elongated goal. The ball is made of hard rubber with bells inside them so they would make sounds while rolling.

Held at Divine Word College High School Grounds, this physical game is open to visually challenged athletes (low vision, partially blind, totally blind). As it depends a lot with sound and reflex, silence is very important for the sport. The finals game was between Region X (Northern Mindanao) and Region 4-A (CALABARZON).

Things To Take Note During Palarong Pambansa

This national games are a annual event that everyone in the country is looking forward to, all the regions converge  with their athletes, coaches, officials, staff, family and friends will definitely spice up the city along with the exciting sporting events. It is indeed a rare event that one should savor the moments that happens of this yearly meet.

And for the non-participants, seeing the action live and being there is also another experience that one can have during the week. If you are a participant or a observer for Palarong Pambansa, let me share to you some tips so you can enjoy and keep yourself safe during this hectic yet fun event.

Paralrong Pambansa Update Day 6

Here is the latest medal tally and news about the ongoing Palarong Pambansa 2016. As the event comes to a close, will NCR still keep the top spot? Which region is in the top 5, details with my Palaro Live updates!

Palaro 2016 Introduces A New Team!

The Palarong Pambansa has always been the most awaited multi-sport event in the country and had developed a lot of athletes which moved on to become world class players and olympians. And this year one of the new things that will happen for the Palaro in Albay is the introduction of a new team. Technically, they are not actually new to the games but was created in the formation of a new region that brought Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental as the new Negros Island Region.

The region was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 183 issued by President Benigno Aquino III on May 29, 2015, and is the 18th region in the Philippines. With this integration, teams of both provinces will merge into one which  provides more opportunities for Negrenses to join the games. 

Palaro Participants Also Explored The Beauty of Albay

It is always not always work, work, work work for the athletes, officials and coaches of Palarong Pambansa 2016 which is now currently held in Albay Province. It is the first time Palaro will be held here and many are excited to experience a new sports destination which was hosted by Tagum City, Sta Cruz, and Dumaguete City in the past years.

Albay is known to be where the famous Mayon Volcano is located. With many of the participants came early before the official opening, training is their top priority. However, they too find pleasure in touring the province with a lot of places in interests, one of them is Cagsawa Ruins.

Over 12,000 delegates troop to Albay as Palaro 2016 opens

As the long-awaited Palarong Pambansa 2016 officially opened, over 12,000 delegates including student-athletes, coaches, and officials from all 18 regions have gathered at Bicol University (BU), Albay, for the opening ceremonies today, April 10.

The Department of Education (DepEd), along with this year’s Palarong Pambansa provincial host Albay, formally welcomed thousands of visitors to the games, marking the start of a week-long event in a colorful mix of costumes, flags, and banners.

Negros Island Region: We are 100% ready for Palaro 2016

Negros Island Region (NIR), which is a newly created region that will be competing for the 59th Palarong Pambansa for the first time, is 100% ready and confident that its athletes will take center stage in the national sporting competition.

According to Department of Education (DepEd)-NIR Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad, “Although this is the first time, we will do our best to compete [with the other regions]. We are ready [and] we are vying for championship.”

In January, DepEd Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said this year’s staging of the Palaro will have many “firsts.” 

Wanted: new records to break in Palaro 2016

When Davao del Norte hosted the 58th Palarong Pambansa in 2015, record-breaking feats were showcased by a new breed of student athletes in the swimming and athletics category.

Can we expect more records to fall in this year’s staging of the Palaro in Albay?

Last year, Luzon’s best bets from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and the National Capital Region towed the rest of the regions and mightily showed the way. Central Luzon's Balitucan National High School alumnus, Martin James Esteban shattered the 14.44m triple jump record of Mark Harry Diones with his 15.01 meter-jump.

DepEd, Albay gear up for Palaro 2016

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the provincial government of Albay continue to gear up for the 59th Palarong Pambansa to be held at the Albay Sports and Tourism Complex, Legaspi City from April 10 to 16, 2016. This is the first time that Albay will host the week-long event that brings together the country’s most promising student-athletes.

With the theme: “Transforming Communities, Transcending Through K to 12,” DepEd aims to promote physical education and sports as an integral part of the Basic Education for holistic development of the youth to become responsible and globally competitive citizens of the country.

DepEd, Albay ink MOA for 2016 Palarong Pambansa

The Department of Education (DepEd) signs an agreement with the provincial government of Albay—the host of the2016 Palarong Pambansa in Legazpi City—stipulating the duties and responsibilities of both parties to ensure a well-managed and professionally-run annual national sporting event.

DepEd Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC said this year’s staging of the Palaro will have many “firsts.”  “I want to highlight that this is Albay’s first ever hosting of the Palaro. This is also the first time that 18 regions will take action -- not the usual 17 regions --because of the participation of   the Negros Island Region,” he explained.

Palarong Pambansa top athletes to go for gold in Brunei Darussalam ASEAN Schools Games

Palarong Pambansa top athletes will be competing at the 7th Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Schools Games slated in Brunei Darussalam, from November 21 to 29, 2015.

An orientation program and pep rally for the Philippine contingent was held at the Department of Education Central Office on November 20, 2015 before they depart from Manila on November 21.

Albay wins bid to host 2016 Palarong Pambansa

After careful deliberation and tedious evaluation by officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Legazpi City, Albay won the bid to host the Palarong Pambansa 2016. The province won over Tuguegarao City, Cagayan–its only competitor for the annual national games.

Before announcing the results of the vote, Education Secretary Br Armin Luistro FSC asked both provinces to continue supporting the agency’s sports development program, saying, "Sana ipagpatuloy po ninyo ang inyong naka-atas na mga programa para sa sports sa inyong probinsiya at sana makasama pa po kayo ng DepEd at ng PSC doon sa iba pang sports events. Mayroon po tayong Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, at iba pang programa.”

Palaro Introduces Demo Sport Beach Volleyball

Palarong Pambansa continues to evolve not only with he athletes but also the sports that are included for the events. Since new sports are developed, introduced and played, there will always consideration for a new event to be added for the games. This year, Davao Del Norte introduces Beach Volleyball as a demonstration sport for this year's Palaro.

And it also a perfect time as it falls within the summer period and the sport has a growing number of courts and events that even national and international sporting events have also adapted. There is also the demand for sand courts to be built like the Sands in SM Mall of Asia by the bay.  Creating such courts has minimal maintenance even in mountainous regions since fine sand is abundant here in the Philippines.

Palaro in Tagum City Opens With Surprizes

Every year, Palarong Pambansa is celebrated with flair and fun. Now that the  annual sports meet has come finally to Davao Del Norte, they will never miss this opportunity to showcase the province. Davao del Norte may be known for Agriculture, but it is also fastly shifting into commercial and industrial hub.

For this year's Palaro, Davao Del Norte showed effort in making Palaro known in many platforms. One of them is through information to all. With a lot of posters showing the national event as well as welcoming delegates from all over the country. Though it may seems over saturated, this ensures that everyone in the city knows that Palaro will be happening here as well as where will the sporting events happen.

We Are LIVE at Palarong Pambansa!

Yes, for the first time since we share news about Palarong Pambansa which happened annually in various places in Luzon, Visayas and now Mindanao, I am happy to share that Manual To Lyf can share live news as well as the stories that come from the delegates (athletes, coaches, officials, organizers) themselves live from the City of Tagum in Davao Del Norte.

As it is also my first time in Mindanao, the ambiance of doing a far away coverage will be new yet exciting for me. I will be making video interviews and live updates on events that we can attend to. So if you maybe a family or friend of someone who is competing in Palarong Pambansa, give them a cheer from wherever you may be.

DepEd: All systems go for Palaro 2015

The Department of Education (DepEd) has completed the preparations for the 58th Palarong Pambansa in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. The national sporting event’s original kick off date was moved to May 4, to support our boxing champion Manny Pacquiao in his fight against Floyd Mayweather Junior this coming Sunday.

DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said that all necessary arrangements have been secured. “Every year, we aim to make the Palarong Pambansa a special event highlighting what the Filipino youth can showcase to the world in the field of sports,” Luistro said.

New records to break in Palaro 2015

2014 marks the year of triumphs and remarkable feats in the field of Sports. For the 57th Palarong Pambansa, it was also the year for the Athletics and Swimming category as decade-old-records were broken by this generation’s roster of student athletes.

Last year, Luzon excelled through its champions from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 3. NCR’s sprint athlete, Jomar Udtohan turned heads as he broke three meet records in the 100M (43.1 s), 200M (21.8 s), and 400M (48.7 s) dash. His performance was even compared to the “Asia’s Sprint Queen” Lydia de Vega-Mercado’s skill in the early 80s. Also, Bryan Pacheco from Central Luzon wowed crowds through his throwing skills as he achieved a new record of 15.32m in the Shot Put category. Pacheco even outdid his old 2013 record in the Javelin Throw, making 62.47m the new number to break.