Hundreds of student-athletes from the Pangasinan II Division went through a screening on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, ahead of the upcoming Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet, but several were disqualified due to problems with their birth certificates.

Members of the Regional Screening and Accreditation Committee (RSAC) led the review to ensure that only qualified athletes can compete in the regional meet.

Officials checked each athlete’s documents one by one, from personal records to medical papers, to confirm eligibility.

Dr. Enrique Macayan, EPS on Sports of SDO-Pangasinan II, said the screening aims to strictly verify qualifications.

“Para makita natin kung talagang qualify sila that includes the coach, assistant coach,” he said.

During the review, the committee found that some athletes could not proceed to the R1AA Meet because of issues with their birth certificates.

Macayan stressed the importance of checking official records with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“Importanteng ma-check ang PSA nila kung registered ba sila at siyempre ma-check ‘yung edad nila,” he said.

Among those affected were two softball players under Coach Arnel Nery from Manaoag, Pangasinan.

Nery said they tried to fix the documents but ran out of time.

“Late registration kasi we did the processing pero hindi na kaya,” he said.

Under existing rules, athletes must be registered at least one year before the Palarong Pambansa to qualify.

The R1AA Meet is scheduled in April and will be held in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.