By CALVIN CORDOVA
CEBU CITY — As expected, the National Capital Region (NCR) emerged as the overall champion once again. It was not even close.
After a week-long intense competition, the 2024 Palarong Pambansa finally came to a close on Tuesday, July 16, with the Big City snatching the overall crown after harvesting 238 of the 509 medals at stake.
NCR hauled in 98 golds, 66 silvers, and 74 bronzes. Its secondary athletes did most of the damage after they raked in 64 golds, 48 silvers, and 49 bronzes. NCR’s elementary athletes finished with 34 golds, 18 silvers, and 25 bronzes.
Region 4-A wound up second with 57 golds, 51 silvers, and 53 bronzes. Finishing third was Region 6, which harvested 56 golds, 41 silvers, and 41 bronzes.
Region 11 took the fourth spot with 32 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes. Host region Central Visayas duplicated its fifth-place finish in last year’s Palaro by collecting 29 golds, 42 silvers, and 39 bronzes.
Taking the sixth spot was Region 3 with 25 golds, 37 silvers, and 45 bronzes while Region 8 ranked seventh with 18 golds, 14 silvers, and 22 bronzes. Landing at eight spot was Region 12 with17-23-31 (g-s-b) tally.
Completing the top 15 were Region 10 (14-27-43), Region 5 (14-15-20), Region 9 (12-7-16), Region 9 (12-7-16), Region 13 (11-13-24), Cordillera Administrative Region (11-8-18), Region 2 (7-15-22), and Region 1 (5-14-10).
Region 4-B was at 16th spot with a 2-6-9 tally followed by Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which finished with 2 golds, 1 silver, and 4 bronzes.
Though the Cebu City oval was found to be 1.5 meters short of the standard 400 meters, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) still described the staging of this year’s Palaro a resounding success.
“Our hope is that the 12,000 plus athletes will leave Cebu with tremendous memories of Cebu and the Palaro and we hope that one of them will become a Olympians,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas.
Ilocos Norte will be hosting next year’s Palaro.
