The 2018 Palarong Pambansa was the 61st edition of the Palarong Pambansa multi-sports event and was held in Vigan, Ilocos Sur from April 15 to 21, 2018. Student athletes from 17 athletic associations representing the 17 regions of the Philippines competed in different sporting events and disciplines.
Bidding The cities of Baguio and Vigan made a bid to host the 61st Palarong Pambansa. In 2017, Vigan was selected host of the Games. In January 2018, the Department of Education and the provincial government of Ilocos Sur signed a memorandum of agreement regarding the hosting of the games to be held primarily in Vigan.
2018 Palarong Pambansa bids City/Municipality Province/RegionViganIlocos Sur/R-1Baguio CityBenguet/Cordillera Region
The Games The opening ceremony of the 2018 Palarong Pambansa was held at the Quirino Stadium in Bantay, Ilocos Sur on April 15, 2018. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was the guest speaker of the event for the second consecutive year. Duterte stated that the event is a breeding ground for future sports icons and nation-builders, "whose values and principles are founded on perseverance, discipline, teamwork, integrity, and love of country".
Sports personalities including chess grandmaster Eugene Torre, cue artist Efren "Bata" Reyes, bowler Paeng Nepomuceno, swimmer Eric Buhain, long jumper Elma Muros, 1996 Summer Olympics silver medalist Mansueto Velasco, 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Luis Gabriel Moreno and 2016 Summer Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz led the carrying of the giant Philippine flag. Moreno then lit the friendship cauldron using an arrow shot, symbolizing the commencement of the games.
Lydia de Vega-Mercado, considered as Asia's fastest woman in the 1980s, was honored as the Palarong Pambansa Lifetime Achievement Awardee during the opening rites. Her daughter, Stephanie represented her in the event.
On the second day of the Games on 16 April 2018, barefoot runner Lheslie de Lima from Camarines Sur won the first gold medal of the event in the 3,000 meter run (secondary girls category). She dedicated the win to her distant relative Senator Leila de Lima, who is currently in prison.
At the final day of the Games on April 21, 2018, the National Capital Region capped off their campaign with their 14th straight-overall championship, winning 100 gold, 70 silver and 50 bronze medals. Calabarzon and Western Visayas ended up with 1st and 2nd runner-up finishes, respectively.
Sports Regular Sports These are the regular sports disciplines that were played in the games. Archery Arnis Aquatics Athletics Badminton Baseball Basketball Boxing Chess Football Futsal Gymnastics Sepak takraw (Boys) Softball Table tennis Taekwondo Tennis Volleyball
Demonstration sports These are the seven demonstration sports played at this year's Palarong Pambansa.
Aerobic Gymnastics Billiards Dancesport Pencak Silat Sepak takraw (Girls) Wrestling Wushu
Special Para Games These are the four para sports that were contested at this year's Palarong Pambansa.
Swimming Bocce Goalball Athletics
Participating regions A total of 17 athletic associations coming from 17 regions of the country participated in the athletic meet. The provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental which competed under the Negros Island Region in the previous two editions of the games (2016 Palarong Pambansa and 2017 Palarong Pambansa) will now compete and merge with their previous original regions, Western Visayas and Central Visayas respectively, after the Negros Island Region which was created in 2015 was dissolved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
RegionsCodeNameColorsARMMAAAutonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoCARAACordillera Administrative RegionNCRAANational Capital RegionIRAARegion I or Ilocos RegionCAVRAARegion II or Cagayan ValleyCLRAARegion III or Central LuzonSTCAARegion IV-A or Southern Tagalog - CalabarzonMRAA (MimaropaA)Region IV-B or Southern Tagalog - MimaropaBRAARegion V or Bicol RegionWVRAARegion VI or Western VisayasCVRAARegion VII Central VisayasEVRAARegion VIII or Eastern VisayasZPRAARegion IX or Zamboanga PeninsulaNMRAARegion X or Northern MindanaoDAVRAARegion XI or Davao RegionSRAARegion XII or SoccsksargenCaragaRAARegion XIII or Caraga
Playing Venues At least 34 different locations in various towns across Ilocos Sur and its capital city Vigan were selected as the playing venues for the 26 sports disciplines of the games.
Regular Events Event Venue Municipality Archery San Ildefonso Elementary School San Ildefonso Arnis San Vicente Municipal Gym San Vicente Aquatics Quirino Stadium Poolside Bantay Athletics Quirino Stadium (track and jumping events)UNP Athletic Grounds (throwing events) Bantay Vigan Badminton Vigan City Convention Center Vigan Baseball Barangay Tamag Motorpool Area Vigan Basketball San Ildefonso Municipal Covered Court (Elementary) San Juan Municipal Gym (Secondary Boys) Caoayan Municipal Gym (Secondary Girls) Quirino Stadium Open Court (3x3) San Ildefonso San Juan Caoayan Bantay Boxing Plaza Burgos Vigan Chess Baluarte Function Hall - A Vigan Football Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary (Elementary) Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur Football Field (Elementary) Quirino Stadium (Secondary) Pagsanaan Football Field (Secondary) Vigan San Vicente Bantay Magsingal Futsal Barangay Pasungol Covered Court Santa Municipal Gym Santa Gymnastics Santa Maria Municipal Gym Santa Maria Sepak takraw Immaculate Conception School of Theology Quirino Stadium Open Courts Vigan Bantay Softball Cirilo Lao Construction Compound Bantay Table tennis Philippine Science High School Ilocos Region Campus Gym San Ildefonso Taekwondo Santo Domingo Municipal Gym Santo Domingo Tennis Quirino Stadium Open Court (Elementary Boys) Vigan City Tennis Club (Elementary Girls) San Ildefonso Tennis Court (Secondary Boys) Santo Domingo Tennis Court (Secondary Boys)Santa Catalina Tennis Court (Secondary Girls) Bantay Vigan San Ildefonso Santo Domingo Santa Catalina Volleyball Barangay Ayusan Norte Covered Court (Elementary Boys) Barangay Beddeng Laud Covered Court (Elementary Girls) Quirino Stadium Open Court (Secondary Boys) Santa Catalina Municipal Gym (Secondary Boys)Barangay Poblacion Gym (Secondary Girls) Vigan Vigan Bantay Santa Catalina Santo Domingo
Demonstration Sports Event Venue Municipality* Aerobic Gymnastics NSCC Function Hall Caoayan* Billiards Lyric Cinema Billiards Center Vigan Dancesport NSCC Function Hall CaoayanPencak Silat Barangay Tamag Covered Court Vigan Wrestling Barangay 9 Titong Singson Multi-purpose Covered Court Vigan Wushu Bantay West Central Elementary School Bantay
Special Para Events Event Venue Municipality Bocce San Vicente Plaza San Vicente Goalball Ilocos Sur Badminton Club Bantay
Billeting Areas
Athletic Delegations
Several public and private elementary, secondary and tertiary schools, colleges and universities situated at the provincial capital Vigan and nearby towns were selected as the billeting areas for delegates and officials of the games.
Billeting Areas Athletic Association Code Region Billeting Area Location ARMMAA Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao San Vicente IS Bayubay ES Pangada ESSan VicenteSan VicenteSta. Catalina CARAA Cordillera Administrative Region Sto. Domingo NCS Sto. Domingo SCS Benito Soliven Academy Sto. Domingo NCRAA National Capital Region Sinait NHS Salindeg ES (buffer holding area) Sinait Vigan IRAA Region I - Ilocos Region San Sebastian ES San Sebastian NHS Pudoc ES San Vicente CAVRAA Region II - Cagayan Valley Cabugao SCS Cabugao NCS Cabugao Institute Balaleng ES (buffer holding area) CabugaoCabugaoCabugaoBantay CLRAA Region III - Central Luzon Ilocos Sur NHS Vigan STCAA Region IV-A - Southern Tagalog - Calabarzon Vigan NHS East Nagsangalan ES Rugsuanan ES Vigan MRAA (MimaropaA) Region IV-B - Southern Tagalog - Mimaropa Sta. Maria NHS Capangpangan ES (buffer holding area) Santa MariaVigan BRAA Region V - Bicol Region Basug Commercial School Mabilbila Institute Santa CS Santa WVRAA Region VI - Western Visayas Bulag ES Bantay NHS Paing ES Ora East ES (buffer holding area) Ora West ES (buffer holding area) Bantay CVRAA Region VII - Central Visayas Sta. Catalina CS Cabittaogan NHS Cabittaogan ES Santa Catalina EVRAA Region VIII - Eastern Visayas University of Northern Philippines Vigan ZPRAA Region IX - Zamboanga Peninsula Vigan CS Burgos Memorial School Vigan NMRAA Region X - Northern Mindanao Narvacan NHS Narvacan DAVRAA Region XI - Davao Region Ilocos Sur NHS Ayusan-Paoa ES (buffer holding area) Vigan SRAA Region XII - Soccsksargen University of Northern Philippines Vigan Caraga Region XIII - Caraga Naglaoa-an NHS Naglaoa-an ES Sagsagat ES Santo Domingo Santo Domingo San Ildefonso
CS - central school, NCS - north central school, SCS - south central school, ES - elementary school, IS - integrated school, NHS - national high school.
Technical Officials and Referees
Billeting Areas Sport Billeting Area Location Aero Gymnastics Cal-Laguip Elementary School Caoayan Archery San Ildefonso Central School San Ildefonso Athletics Caoayan Central School Caoayan Badminton Burgos Memorial School East Vigan Baseball Tamag Elementary School Vigan Basketball Silang Elementary School Bantay Billiards Burgos Memorial School East Vigan Boxing Bantay West Central Elementary School Bantay Chess Caoayan National High School Caoayan Dancesport Cal-Laguip Elementary School Caoayan Football Guimod Elementary School Bantay Futsal Sacuyya Community School Santa Gymnastics Paras-Parada Elementary School Santo Domingo Pencak Silat Caoayan Central School Caoayan Sepak Takraw Baggoc P. Quitiquit Elementary School Caoayan Softball Busiing Elementary School San Ildefonso Table Tennis San Ildefonso Central School San Ildefonso Taekwondo Sta. Maria Central School Santa Maria Tennis Caoayan National High School Caoayan Volleyball Bantay West Central Elementary School Bantay Wrestling San Julian Elementary School Vigan Wushu Bantay West Central Elementary School Bantay
Official Medal Tally
Regular Games
Demo Sports
Para Games
References