LEGAZPI CITY – Seventeen Sorsogon athletes who bagged medals in the Palaraong Pambansa will receive cash incentives in recognition of their hard work, dedication and achievements in the Department of Education-organized sports event.

Salvador Mendoza, spokesperson of the Sorsogon provincial government, said gold medal winners will receive PHP100,000 each; silver medalists will get PHP75,000; and bronze medalists will be given PHP50,000 each.

“Our target for the distribution of the cash incentives for our athletes is within this week. We have 12 players for volleyball and five for individual games,” Mendoza said in a statement on Sunday.

“The substantial token of appreciation serves as an encouragement for the athletes to continue pursuing excellence in their respective sports disciplines,” he added.

The Palaro podium finishers from Sorsogon, all in the elementary level, are Rose Jane Barcelona, gold, long jump; Sofia Huete, gold, discus throw; Beatrize Maria Mabalay, gold, swimming, breaststroke; silver, swimming, 50-meter breaststroke; silver, swimming, 100 meters; Jake Ivan Arciaga, bronze, badminton singles; Jeanne Epino, bronze, javelin throw; and Casiguran Central School, bronze, volleyball.

Mendoza said it was the best performance of Sorsogon so far in the multi-event meet for grade school and secondary student-athletes.

“The dedication and hard work put in by these athletes, along with the support from their coaches and families, have undoubtedly contributed to this exceptional feature. The cash incentives bestowed upon these medalists not only honor their achievements but also demonstrate the commitment of the provincial government to foster a culture of sports excellence and athletic development,” read a statement from Sorsogon City.

The National Capital Region was crowned overall champion of the Palarong Pambansa for the 16th consecutive time, winning a total of 85 gold, 74 silver and 55 bronze medals as competition ended Saturday in Marikina City.

Bicol finished 10th out of 17 regions with a 13-15-22 gold-silver-bronze tally. (PNA)

In the 2023 Palarong Pambansa standard chess competitions, Region 4A (Calabarzon) achieved an impressive sweep in the secondary division led by Mark Jay Bacojo who asserted his dominance in the boys’ category, and Franchesca Largo who commanded the girls’ category.

The thrilling finals showdown took place Friday afternoon at the Community Hall of the Marikina Hotel and Convention Center in Marikina City.

Bacojo, a FIDE Master, exhibited his prowess by securing a flawless victory in all seven rounds, amassing a total of seven points to clinch his third gold medal at the event. Meanwhile, Jan Clifford Labog from the Cagayan Valley Region secured the silver medal with a score of 6.0 points, while Rigil Kent Pahamtang, also representing Calabarzon, secured the bronze with 5.5 points.

Bacojo’s achievements did not stop there. He teamed up with Pahamtang to secure the gold medal for the team championship, earning Bacojo his fourth gold in total.

Earlier in the week, Bacojo had already claimed gold medals in both the individual and team blitz chess events, further cementing his exceptional skills.

On the girls’ side, Franchesca Largo emerged victorious in the seven-round standard chess event, finishing with a score of 5.5 points. She shared this score with April Joy Claros of the National Capital Region and Jamelin Ruth Lim of Region 6. Largo’s stellar performance allowed her to secure the gold medal after a tie-break, with Claros earning the silver and Lim attaining the bronze.

While the girls’ team gold went to the National Capital Region, Calabarzon secured the silver, and Region 12 took home the bronze.

In the elementary division, Phil Martin Casiguran from NCR claimed the gold in standard chess for boys, accumulating 6.0 points. Quarl Maverick Vera Cruz earned the silver with 5.5 points, and Jerald Mariano secured the bronze with the same score.

Iana Angela Sotaridona of Region 6 emerged triumphant in the elementary girls’ division with an impressive score of 6.5 points. Lila Alyssa Serina secured second place with 5.5 points, while Stephanie Jabagat took third place with 5.0 points.

In the team competitions, NCR secured the boys’ team gold, while Region 6 claimed the girls’ team gold, showcasing their collective talent and determination. (ai/mnm)

Karl Eldrew Yulo (Photo courtesy of Manila Bulletin)

Karl Eldrew Yulo from the National Capital Region (NCR) achieved a remarkable feat by securing six gold medals in the secondary boys’ artistic events at the Palarong Pambansa, held at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on August 4th.

Yulo, the 15-year-old younger sibling of two-time world champion gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, showcased his prowess across various disciplines.

In the floor exercise, Yulo dominated with a score of 13.500 points. He also excelled in the vault with a total of 13.95 points, while achieving 9.00 points in horizontal bars and 9.250 points in the mushroom event.

Not only did Yulo clinch the gold in the individual all-around category with a score of 46.25 points, but he also played a pivotal role in leading NCR to victory in the team all-around event with a total of 41.7 points, as seen last Wednesday.

Standing at 4 feet 11 inches, Yulo expressed his elation at sweeping all the events for secondary boys in the Palaro gymnastics. He reminisced about achieving a similar feat in the elementary division back in 2017.

“I can’t put into words how joyous I am right now. Despite my confidence in my routines, I felt a bit nervous because this is a national-level competition,” Yulo said.

(ai/mnm)

Naina Dominique Tagle from Region 7 readies herself to take her shot during the 70-meter distance team archery event at the 2023 Palarong Pambansa. (Photo courtesy of The Manila Times)

A new Palarong Pambansa secondary girls’ 60m archery record was established by Naina Dominique Tagle from Central Visayas (Region 7) during the 2023 edition of the games.

The remarkable feat occurred at the STI Gold Toe Archery Center in Barangay Barangka, Marikina City on Thursday, August 3.

Tagle demonstrated exceptional skill, accumulating 327 points, and securing the gold medal in this category. In a closely contested competition, Venice Garcia of the National Capital Region (NCR) secured the silver medal with 313 points, while Faith Novesteras clinched the bronze medal with a score of 312 points.

Tagle and Garcia swapped positions in the newly introduced 70m archery event at the Palarong Pambansa in an interesting turn of events.

This time, it was Garcia who emerged triumphant, setting a high standard with 310 points to claim the gold medal, leaving Garcia in second place with 306 points, securing the silver.

Denelyn Villagracia from Bicol Region (Region 5) showcased her prowess, earning the bronze medal with a score of 301 points.

(ai/mnm)

Krystal David (Photo from Facebook) 

Krystal David from the National Capital Region (NCR) achieved a remarkable feat during the Palarong Pambansa elementary girls’ 100m breaststroke event held at the Marikina Sports Center on Tuesday, August 1.

An incoming Grade 7 student, David displayed outstanding talent, clocking an impressive time of 1:17.98, thereby setting a new Palaro record and securing the coveted gold medal.

Her performance was nothing short of awe-inspiring as she outperformed her competitors.

The second-place finisher, Azula Villanueva from Region 3, trailed nearly seven seconds behind with a time of 1:24.79.

Claiming the third spot and the bronze medal was Cathlene Hengania, who finished with a time of 1:25.48.

Krystal David’s extraordinary achievement in the pool has undoubtedly marked her as a rising star in Philippine swimming. (ai/mnm)

Giethyl Daze Lubguban (Photo courtesy of TEMPO)

A Zamboanga Del Sur student achieves a remarkable victory, securing the first gold medal in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa.

The talented young athlete, Giethyl Daze Lubguban from Upper Panikian Integrated School, demonstrated her prowess at the PhilSports Track Oval in Pasig on Monday, July 31.

Remarkably, Lubguban, an incoming Grade 7 student, dominated the elementary girls’ high jump event, soaring to an impressive height of 1.40 meters.

Her extraordinary performance marked the first gold medal for the Zamboanga Peninsula region (Region 9) in this year’s Palaro, a prestigious event that had been on hold for four years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (AI//MNM)

MANILA – Esports has been added to the list of events to be played in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Marikina.

No less than Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro made the announcement during the national meet’s press launch at the Marikina Sports Center on Friday.

Esports has been assigned as a demonstration sport.

Only one title, Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), will be played in the inaugural Palaro esports tournament.

“We chose the most accessible game for the Palaro. Most of the Filipinos right now use their mobile phones to actually play the game, so Mobile Legends muna ang ni-recommend namin sa board (so it is the first game we recommended to the board),” said Marlon Marcelo, the executive director of the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO).

PESO has been tapped to help the Marikina City government, the Department of Education, and the Philippine Sports Commission in organizing the Palaro MLBB event.

Marcelo then bared that some other esports titles, such as Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) 2 and Valorant, could be added to the fray once esports becomes an official part of the Palaro, probably as soon as next year.

Cebu City, Antique, and Negros Occidental are bidding for the hosting rights for the 2024 Palaro, but considering their economic advancements, Cebu and Negros Occidental’s capital city of Bacolod could provide bigger venues for the esports event should more titles be played.

For now, according to Marcelo, the goal is the successful staging of the 2023 Palaro MLBB event.

“Since this is a demo sport, we would want to make sure that everything is smooth as possible on the first try. Mas madali kasing i-organize yung MLBB (It’s easier to organize an MLBB event), to be honest, just because Valorant and DOTA 2 require PCs (personal computers) and a very stable Internet connection, so it’s really one of the optics na kailangang ayusin (that we have to fix),” he said.

While the eligibility guidelines have yet to be placed for the Palaro MLBB tournament, Marcelo said pros are not allowed to join even if they are still studying in high school.

“I would say that this is a very even playing field,” he said. “This is a very big step for Philippine esports kasi recognized na siya ng (because it is now recognized by the) Palaro.” (PNA)

STA. CRUZ, Laguna – The top teams from the four regions in Southern Luzon converge in this town as they clash for spots in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa through the Cluster 2 Pre-National Qualifying Meet happening this week.

Nineteen events, all team sports, will take place in the weeklong event with representatives from Metro Manila, Bicol, Mimaropa and host region Calabarzon colliding for two spots per event to the Palaro proper in Marikina from July 29 to Aug. 5.

About 1,250 athletes from all four Southern Luzon regions are participating in the qualifying meet.

All games will be played in this town except for the baseball secondary event, which will happen at the University of the Philippines Los Baños Baseball Field.

The Laguna Sports Complex is home to 11 events, including the anticipated basketball secondary boy’s tournament. (PNA)