CALAMBA CITY (PIA) — The Calabarzon region wrapped up its campaign at the 2023 Palarong Pambansa finishing at third spot for the sixth straight year with 161 medals under its belt.
The biggest inter-regional sporting event in the Philippines, the Palarong Pambansa gathered the country’s best student athletes to compete in 21 sports, including 17 annual events and four demonstration sports, and paralympic events.
Based on the medal tally, the National Capital Region Jammers clinched the top spot, romping away with 214 medals consisting of 85 gold, 74 silver, and 55 bronze. Western Visayas The Champs came in second with 149 medals consisting of 60 gold, 45 silver, and 44 bronze.
Meanwhile, third placer Calabarzon The Heroes bagged 161 medals consisting of 52 gold, 52 silver, and 57 bronze medals.
Lorraine Audrey Batalla secured Calabarzon’s first gold medal after competing in the 3000m Secondary Girls. The 14-year old sprinter from Calamba City went on to secure two more gold medals for the 800m Secondary Girls and 4X400m Relay Secondary Girls categories.
“Naka-experience po ako ng tapang at kaba sa laro. Nakaramdam rin po ako ng sobrang saya dahil ito po ang pinangarap kong laruin simula pa nung elementary pa lang ako. At ngayon, natupad ko na po ito. Hindi ko rin po akalain na mananalo po ako kasi sa pagkakaalam ko, iba na ang laban sa Palarong Pambansa,” Batalla said recalling her experience at the Palarong Pambansa.
For the past six years, the Calabarzon Heroes has been one of the top three regions competing in the tournament alongside the National Capital Region (NCR).
“Consistently for the past six years, laging after NCR, Calabarzon [region] ang inaasahan [sa Palarong Pambansa]. Kaya nga ang aming sinasabi ay we are one next to NCR,” said Human Resources and Development Division chief, Eduarda Zapanta.
DepEd Calabarzon said one factor to the region’s third place finish this year was the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted face-to-face classes and other school-related activities, including training for student athletes.
“During the pandemic, dahil sa kalagayan ng bansa at ng buong mundo ay talagang nag-pause tayo. Then nung may blended [learning] na, at noong naramdaman natin mula sa DepEd na muling bibigyan ng pagkakataon ang sports at mababa na ang Covid [cases], ibinalik na muli ‘yung enthusiasm ng mga bata natin.”
Zapanta explained that they relied on the division offices to oversee the athletes’ training due to limited face-to-face classes and contact time with the learners.
“As much as we’d like to pull out the students from the classroom, malakas ang mandato ng matatag na adbokasiya ng ating Vice President and Secretary, [Sara Duterte] na ang mga bata natin ay nasa klase. ‘Yung scheduling ay kino-complement pa ng ating mga coach para sa ating mga bata.”
In 2022, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said the Palarong Pambansa was deferred to focus on the students’ academic development after two years of blended learning.
With the full implementation of onsite classes this year, Loida Nidea, DepEd Calabarzon Assistant Regional Director, said they will create a strategy to integrate the athletes’ training with their school activities to avoid disrupting the delivery of education for student-athletes.
“So far after the Palarong Pambansa, wala pang plano [to compete] because we are getting ready for the opening of classes. But in the schools, mayroon silang mga school-based programs na pwede ma-enhance pa para maihanda ang kanilang mga bata,” Nidea said.
She added the Dep-Ed plans to create a data analysis to determine which sport each division office specializes in.
“Ang suggestion ko kay Regional Director [Alberto Escobarte], gagawa kami with the Superintendents ng data analysis at palakasin bawat Division, kung ano kaya nilang gawing sports para pagdating ng Palaro ay may ready na silang team, i-enhance na lang ng kanilang training,”
“Aware ang Schools Division Offices kung ano ang games na magaling sila kaya lamang hindi lahat ay may organized teams kung saan sila magaling. Kaya iyong ang i-emphasize namin sa Regional MANCOM Meeting para at least ma-remind ang Superintendents na we are working both for academic and extracurricular and physical activities of the children.” (PB)
