DepEd: Palarong Pambansa resumes in 2023 with new format

The Palarong Pambansa is set to return this year for the first time in nearly three years since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced Tuesday.

DepEd said the scholastic multi-sport competition will be held in Marikina City from July 29 to August 5, 2023.

Based on DepEd Memorandum No. 5, series of 2023 or the Conduct of the 2023 Palarong Pambansa, the Division Meets and Regional Meets will be conducted on February 6 to 10, and April 24 to 28, respectively, as recommended by the Palarong Pambansa Secretariat.

In a statement, the department said it will introduce an additional tier called the “Pre-National Qualifying Meet” in order to “lessen the number of delegations, shorten the duration of the event, and lower the expenses to be incurred—all without sacrificing the level of play.”

The modified competition format also aims to prevent the disruption of classes, and to observe minimum public health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This new level will only be applicable in team sports such as baseball, basketball, football, futsal, sepak takraw, football, and volleyball.

Delegations will be clustered into four groups based on their geographical location, and the top two regional delegations per cluster will advance to the actual Palarong Pambansa event, DepEd said.

Cluster 1 will be comprised of the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR); Cluster 2 for Calabarzon, Mimaropa, National Capital Region (NCR), and Bicol Region; Cluster 3 for Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula; and Cluster 4 for Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro Region.

Meanwhile, measurable sports like athletics, swimming, and archery will adopt the qualifying distance, time, and points set by the Palarong Pambansa.

Other sports that do not apply the qualifying standards in the selection of athletes and are not identified as team sports will advance directly to the Palarong Pambansa culminating competitions, according to DepEd.

Aside from student-athletes from the 17 DepEd regional athletic associations, Filipino athletes enrolled in recognized schools overseas will also be allowed to compete in individual sports under the banner of Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs).

DepEd said it will release a separate memorandum regarding the technical guidelines of all sports to be played, as provided in Section 27, Rule VI of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 10588 otherwise known as the Palarong Pambansa Act of 2013.—LDF, GMA Integrated News