The 65th Palarong Pambansa recently unveiled handwoven creations made by Inabel weavers from Paoay, showcasing the official icon to be used in the upcoming national games for student-athletes.

Woven by Jeanette Rico and Mary Anne Caoagas, Inabel weavers from Barangay Nalasin in Paoay, the fabric showcases the official icon of the Palarong Pambansa 2025 crafted on traditional wooden loom machines.

Small iterations of the tournament logo–a pixelated figure that takes after the silhouette of Ilocano swimming legend Teofilo Yldefonso in his iconic hands-on-the-waist pose during the 1928 Olympics– were delicately handwoven on the white Abel cloth in red and blue threads.

According to a shared Facebook post by Ilocos Norte Tourism and Ilocos Norte-Palarong Pambansa, the symbol is an homage to the Ilocano breaststroke swimmer– himself a two-time Olympic bronze getter– which “embodies the triumphs born of perseverance, and the heritage that threads every Ilocano victory.”

Yldefonso was a highly decorated swimmer from Piddig, Ilocos Norte, and the first Filipino to have won an Olympic medal when he bagged bronze during the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam. 

The 65th Palarong Pambansa, the country's largest sports event for student-athletes in elementary and high school, will be held in Laoag, Ilocos Norte from May 24 to May 31, 2025.