Two more delegations added in Palaro
CEBU CITY — The Department of Education announced Friday that the National Academy for Sports and Philippine schools from overseas will be joining the Palarong Pambansa 2024, adding two new official delegations to the event.
Adolf Aguilar, assistant superintendent for the Cebu City Division, said that with these additions, the total number of participating delegations will rise to 19.
Originally, only the 17 regions of the country were competing, with the exception of the newly formed Negros Island Region, whose provinces will still represent Central Visayas and Western Visayas.
When questioned about the impact of these new delegations on the competition’s medal standings, Aguilar assured that it would be minimal. “The National Academy for Sports will only be participating in selected events. So, it will have a limited effect,” he said, though he did not specify which events.
The National Academy for Sports is a statefunded school in Tarlac City where student-athletes focus intensively on sports.
Additionally, Filipino-accredited schools in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, part of the Philippine Schools Overseas, have formed teams to compete in individual and team events at this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Aguilar also announced that Dance Sports will now be included as a regular sport in the Palarong Pambansa, meaning winners will be officially tallied and awarded medals.
Moreover, all games will be streamed online, with 60 monitors installed at the old badminton court at the Cebu City Sports Center capturing the events.
When asked whether the scores will be transmuted manually or digitally, Aguilar said that the medal tallying system will remain consistent with that used during the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association last May.
Aguilar added that this year’s event will feature a special tally by towns and cities, highlighting the names of the athletes, unlike previous years where only the number of golds per region was emphasized.
In another first for the Palarong Pambansa, an overall champion per sport will be declared, with numerous trophies and awards available for each delegation.