After almost four years of delay, the largest inter-region competition for elementary and high school students, Palarong Pambansa, is set to return from July to August 2023 in Marikina City
After almost four years of hiatus due to the pandemic, the country’s largest inter-region scholastic meet, Palarong Pambansa, is ready to return and will be held for the first time in Marikina City, announced the Department of Education (DepEd).
Originally scheduled to take place in May 2020, the national competition will be held from July 29 to August 5 with changes to the competition format to adapt to the “new” normal, as per a memorandum released by the Department of Education (DepEd) last January 26.
All 17 regions are set to be represented by student athletes from Kinder to Grade 12, with the addition of foreign-based student-athletes under the banner of Philippine Schools Overseas, Rappler reported.
With Palaro’s return, DepEd also introduced a new round called “Pre-National Qualifying Meet” to lessen the number of delegations, shorten the period of the event, prevent disruption of classes, and lower the expenses to be sustained.
“The new level will only feature team sports such as baseball, basketball, futsal, sepak takraw, football, and volleyball,” DepED said in an official statement published by Manila Bulletin.
In the qualifying meets, delegations will be clustered into four groups based on their geographical location.
Cluster 1 will be made up of the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Cluster 2 will be comprised of CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, NCR, and Bicol Region; Cluster 3 spans from Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas to Zamboanga Peninsula Region; while Cluster 4 is composed of Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCKSARGEN, CARAGA, and BARMM.
Under the new tier, only the two leading regional delegations per cluster will advance to the Palarong Pambansa event.
“[S]ports that do not apply qualifying standards in the selection of athletes and are not identified as team sports will advance directly to Palarong Pambansa culminating competitions,” the statement added.
Individual sports that are classified as measurable events such as athletics, swimming, and archery will make use of the qualifying distance, time, and points set by the Palarong Pambansa.
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