Antipolo's Dairick Duterte hopes Palarong Pambansa title run catches eye of UAAP, NCAA schools

AGUSAN DEL SUR — Dairick Duterte, one of the heroes for Region IV-A CALABARZON in its surprise 2026 Palarong Pambansa high school basketball title run, hopes their feat will do more than just earn a gold medal.

The 18-year-old baller from Antipolo City said he targeted not only the championship but also making a name for himself to attract the attention of big schools in Manila.

After helping St. John's Wort Integrated School pull off a stunning upset over defending champion Davao in the gold medal game, Duterte believes he has given himself a legitimate shot.

"Wala pa po akong plano sa college ko dahil po nagpakilala po ako dito sa Palarong Pambansa," the 6-foot Duterte told reporters on Saturday at the EOC Evacuation Center in the Datu Lipus Makapandong Governor D.O. Sports Complex.

"Siguro po dahil nag-champion kami at pinaghirapan ko po talaga ‘to para makilala ako ng buong bansa at ng mga schools po."

Overshadowed by more established programs before the tournament, Duterte and St. John's Wort Integrated School arrived at the Palarong Pambansa as underdogs but left as champions.

They were pitted against the Davao Eagles in the finals, but CALABARZON didn't fold.

Davao unleashed a raging storm early on, with Macky Pelegrino fueling a 14-1 start, but CALABARZON, led by Duterte, clawed its way back to take a 38-33 halftime lead.

They pulled away in the third quarter after Duterte sparked two separate 4-0 runs, allowing his squad to build a 55-42 cushion. But the Davaoeños mounted a huge fightback in the fourth quarter, pulling within three points when Pelegrino buried a triple to make it 59-56.

However, CALABARZON's other weapons provided the finishing kick, with Rainheart Panilagan and Ali Mamauag combining for 16 of their team's final 20 points en route to a 79-62 win.

Duterte top-scored with 21 points, while Mamauag and Panilagan chipped in 18 and 17 markers, respectively.

"Para sa amin talaga ‘to dahil pinagtrabahuhan namin ito simula una hanggang dulo. Pinaghirapan po namin ito para makuha ‘yung championship na ‘to," said Duterte, whose grandfather is a cousin of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Sobrang laking bagay po kasi hindi po masyadong kilala ‘yung school po namin at kami po ang nagpakilala sa school po namin para kunin ang championship na ‘to."

With his Palarong Pambansa journey now behind him, Duterte is looking ahead to an even bigger stage, praying his performances have done enough to open doors to the UAAP and NCAA.

"-Para sa pangrap ko na rin po dito kasi nakilala na rin po ako. Magga-grind pa rin po ako lalo para makatungtong ako sa pangarap ko po."