Palarong Pambansa returns after four-year absence in Marikina City
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is expected to usher in the return from a four-year pandemic absence the Palarong Pambansa today (July 31) at the Marikina Sports Center amid the inclement weather caused by Severe Tropical Storm Falcon.
There were reports that the venue will be on lockdown mode starting at 4 p.m. in preparation for the arrival of the Chief Executive, who will be joined by Vice President and concurrent Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte, host Mayor Marcy Teodoro and Philippine Sports Commission Chair Richard “Dickie” Bachmann.
Mr. Marcos Jr. is currently at his busiest in relief operations in the Northern part of the country that was hit heaviest by the storm.
The country’s shoe capital was also not spared by the tempestuous weather conditions that caused the Marikina River’s water level to rise as high as 16 meters and above, resulting in the city raising the second alarm.
Under the city’s alarm level system, residents must prepare to evacuate under the first alarm, must evacuate if it reaches the second alarm and will be forced to evacuate if it breaches the 18m plateau or under the third alarm.
Yesterday, alarms were lifted after water level dipped to below 15m and thousands of participants who trooped the city hope it improves more when action intensifies.
It will be the first time in a very long while that the annual meet for elementary and secondary student athletes is going to be staged in the rainy season or outside its traditional summer schedule around April or May.
This year’s edition also marked its return since being shelved in the last few years due to the COVID-19.
It was last staged in Davao City four years ago.
Rain or shine though, centerpiece athletics will push through at the PhilSports Arena in neighboring Pasig where a total of seven gold medals — mostly field events — will be staked including high jump and pole vault at the elementary level around 8 a.m. and secondary level in the afternoon.
The rest will be staged at the Marikina Sports Center starting tomorrow.
Other disciplines in the calendar are archery, arnis, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiards, boxing, chess, dance sports, football, futsal, goal ball, bocce, gymnastics, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling and wushu.
Also, the 17 regions were grouped into four clusters with Cluster 1 composed of the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region and Cluster 2 consisting of Calabarzon, Mimaropa, National Capital Region and Bicol.
Western, Central and Eastern Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula will form Cluster 3 while Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao were bracketed in Cluster 4. — Joey Villar
