Zambales will bid for the 2027 Palarong Pambansa, according to Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. as he announced the province’s desire to bring to Central Luzon the annual multi-sport competition for student-athletes in public and private elementary and secondary schools.
Ebdane said the provincial government is now preparing a multi-purpose sports event center, swimming pool, gymnasium and related facilities for the much-anticipated event.
He said the centerpiece of the provincial government’s proposal is the Zambales Sports Complex Track and Football Stadium, a 17,000-seat arena now under construction in the capital, which is touted to be at par with international standards.
‘If ever, this will be the primary venue for the 2027 Palarong Pambansa,’ Ebdane said.
The governor is also continuously meeting with concerned agencies, as well as local school officials, to map out the direction and requirements of the prospective hosting, including billeting facilities for athletic teams in local schools.
Organized by the Department of Education (DepEd), the national competition draws athletic delegations that qualify by winning at the regional sports meet held across the 17 regions in the country each year.
Last September 18, technical inspectors from the DepEd Central Office headed by Jason Razal of DepEd’s Palarong Pambansa Secretariat (PPS) and from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) led by Reb Igan Viduya, arrived in Iba to assess facilities at the Zambales Sports Complex.
Provincial Sports Development Office (PSDO) manager Jade Ballesteros and School District Supervisor William Rodrick Fallorin accompanied the PPS and PSC teams in the inspection and briefed them on the status of the athletic facilities here.
The Palarong Pambansa started as the Bureau of Public Schools-Interscholastic Athletics Association Games (BPISAA) in 1948 and features 34 sports disciplines, including the para-games, demonstrations, and exhibition sports, as well as indigenous Filipino games also known as ‘Laro ng Lahi.’
So far, Central Luzon had hosted the Palaro twice-once each in Pampanga and Tarlac.
The Palarong Pambansa was hosted by Ilocos Norte this year and Prosperidad in Agusan Del Sur will host next year’s games.