Palaro holds youth slugfest in Tacloban

MANILA, Philippines - The Palarong Pambansa, an annual multi-sports meet for elementary and high school students, added grade school boxing for the first time to help in the search for potential talents to be tapped for international competitions.

Len Toledo, national coordinator of the Department of Education’s task force on schools sports, said they added boxing to help the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines discover fresh talents it hopes to develop for future national teams.

“The DepEd will help in the cause,” said Toledo in yesterday’s Accel-backed SCOOP sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Padre Faura branch in Manila.

Aside from boxing, Toledo said they’ve also included girls’ arnis, an indigenous sport, in the event, which is slated April 26-May 2 at the Leyte Sports Development Center.

The Palaro is organized jointly by the DepEd, Leyte Gov. Jericho Petilla and the city of Tacloban.

Leyte provincial administrator Vince Emnas said the main venue, built to host the same meet 26 years ago, has undergone a facelift for the mass-based multi-event meet.

It includes a track oval with rubberized surface, an Olympic-size competition pool and a warm-up pool.

“All playing venues have already been upgraded to meet the standards set by the DepEd,” said Emnas. “In other words, if the Palaro is going to be held today, we in the province of Leyte and the city of Tacloban are ready.”

Some 10,000 athletes, officials, coaches and visitors from all 17 participating regions are expected to troop to the premier city of Eastern Visayas to participate in 14 sports and 17 events in the elementary and secondary divisions.

Toledo said half of the regional eliminations – Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Cordillera, National Capital Regio, Regions 11 and 12 – were already completed.

The rest, including the Eastern Visayas regional meet set March 30-April 5 in Tacloban City, will be concluded before the Lenten break, Toledo added. – Joey Villar