CARAA ATHLETES AIM TO IMPROVE STANDING IN ILOCOS PALARO

May 25, 2025 Community Billboard Sports

Heat will be a big factor for student-athletes seeing action in this year’s 65th Palarong Pambansa, starting on Monday (May 26) in different playing venues. (Laoag City, Batac City, Bacarra, Burgos, Dingras, San Nicolas, Pasuquin, Piddig, Paoay, San Nicolas, and Sarrat). Host Ilocos Norte assured that they are prepared and ready for any eventualities with the active support of all concerned agencies, local government units, as well as private groups and uniform personnel. On Monday, 20 final events in athletics and para-athletics will be staged, starting with the 3,000 secondary girls set at 6AM. For Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA), it will try to improve its 13th overall standing after it collected 11-8- 18 (gold-silver-bronze) medal output in 2024 edition of this school-based sports
competition.

Year 2024, saw high school athletes lifted CARAA with 9- 8-16 (g-s-b) while its elementary division got 2-0-2 medals. In 2023, Cordillera ranked 9th among the 18 regions , with 17-17-14 (g-s-b),mainly on the effort of its secondary 12-11-13. In 2017, Cordillera region made a respectable finish, placing 6th overall with a modest 26-21-21 (g-s-b), marked by an impressive 16-17-16 (g-s-b) harvest by the secondary
athletes while its elementary group contributed 10-4-5. Cordillera athletes are expected to shine in combative sports, archery, and athletics, among others. This year ’s Palarong Pambansa themed Nagkakaisang Kapuluan (United Archipelago), will showcase the grit and talent of student-athletes in 35 sports disciplines including para-athletics, para-swimming, Palaro ng Lahi to preserve Filipino culture heritage.

Inspired by Hidilyn Diaz, the First Filipino Olympic gold medalist, weightlifting will be played as a demonstration sports. For the record, exactly 57 years Ilocos Norte will host Palaro. It will showcase its newly constructed multi-million Marcos Stadium here. In honor, Palaro Logo will have Ilocano and swimming legend Teofilo Yldefonso, of Sitio Bayog,Piddig ,Ilocos Norte ,who was the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win an Olympic medal (1928 Amsterdam Games in the Netherlands), and the first Filipino to win multiple medals.