BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Administrative Region has sent a total of 844 delegates for the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur, set from May 24 to 31.
Edgar Madlaing, sports regional coordinator of the Department of Education (DepEd), in a radio interview on Thursday, said the delegation comprises 585 athletes, 85 coaches, 27 assistant coaches, chaperones and members of the technical working group.
“The advance party arrived here (Agusan) last May 16, and the last group to arrive was on Wednesday in time for the opening parade,” he said.
Only 300 delegates will join the opening parade, he added.
Palarong Pambansa is a DepEd-initiated sports event that aims to develop grassroots sports and train athletes from elementary to high school.
Safety, convenience
Madlaing said the Cordillera is lucky to have been billeted at East Bayugan Central School, which is a strategic location as it is near the venues of almost all events, except for gymnastics.
“We are lucky we were placed in one of the good schools,” he added.
He added that the host provided three vans for the use of the delegates, aside from the vehicles rented by the DepEd-Cordillera for the use of the delegation, to ensure that athletes would arrive at the game venues on time.
He shared that classrooms are air-conditioned and they were provided with appropriate beddings.
“We gave the air-conditioned rooms to our athletes while the non-air-conditioned rooms are used by the technical working groups and the others,” he said.
In terms of safety and security, police personnel are deployed at the school while the frontage road has been closed to vehicular traffic for the safety of the athletes and the delegation.
He added that all corners of the school are equipped with closed-circuit television cameras which are connected to a command center.
“To the parents and guardians of the athletes, do not worry. We are well taken care of here by the host. As your officials, we will also be taking good care of the children,” he said.
Except for baseball and soccer venues, he said, all practice venues are located indoors and in covered courts, protecting the children from extreme heat. **Liza Agoot
