Aquino to grace Palaro opening

LINGAYEN -- President Benigno Aquino III will be present at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Palarong Pambansa to be hosted by the province of Pangasinan.
 
He will be the guest of honor and speaker during the May 7 opening ceremonies to be held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here.

This was announced by Governor Amado Espino Jr. during the meeting with Palarong Pambansa Executive Committee last Thursday attended by Education Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali.
 
More than 10,000 delegates from the 17 regions will be attending the annual national sporting event, which will be held in Pangasinan for the second time. This is slated on May 6 to 12.
 
Espino said this year's Palaro will be the benchmark for the next and future holding of Palarong Pambansa.
 
Meanwhile, the first Palaro delegation to arrive in the province is Palawan, composed of 278 athletes and officials. They left Palawan on April 15 and arrived in Pangasinan on April 16. They are housed at the Tandoc Elementary School in San Carlos City.
 
Mimaropa (Region IV-B) Education Supervisor Zenaida Dusong, delegation assistant, said they decided to come 11 days earlier instead of their former scheduled trip of April 27 to allow their athletes to train longer and to familiarize them with the different playing venues before the start of the national games.
 
"It's a long trip and we are thankful that we have arrived in Pangasinan safe and sound," she said.
 
Amado Gunda, head of Palawan and Puerto Princesa City delegation, said they were warmly welcomed by the school officials upon their arrival to their billeting site and they started to visit some of the playing venues like Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC), CSI Stadia, Pangasinan State University (PSU), and Capitol beachfront.
 
"So far, so good, mukhang well-prepared ang Pangasinan na maghost and we are happy for this opportunity to visit your province," he said.
 
Meanwhile, lawyer Verna Nava-Perez, provincial secretary and head of Palaro secretariat, said thousands of athletes with their school officials and coaches are expected to arrive next week.
 
Perez said the province is all set and ready to host for the second time after 17 years the biggest national sports competition.

"As what Governor Amado T. Espino Jr.'s previous statement goes, Palarong Pambansa 2012 will prove to be the benchmark of all future Palaro," the provincial board secretary said.

Billeting schools for the different delegations are: Pangasinan National High School (Ilocos), Labrador Central School and Labrador High School (Cagayan Valley), Dagupan City National High School (Central Luzon), Estanza Elementary and Estanza National High School in Lingayen (Mimaropa); Tandoc Elementary and Tandoc National High School in San Carlos City (Calabarzon), Calasiao Central School (Bicol), San Carlos Central School II (Western Visayas), Lingayen I Central School (Central Visayas), Binmaley School of Fisheries and Tesda (Eastern Visayas), Binmaley North Elementary School and Binmaley I Central School (Zamboanga Peninsula), Domalandan Center Elementary School (Northern Mindanao) Calasiao Comprehensive National High School (Davao Region), SEPNAS in San Carlos City (Soccsksargen), San Carlos Central School I (Caraga), Polong Elementary School and Polong National High School (Armm), Bugallon Integrated School and Torres Elementary School (Cordillera Administrative Region), Dagupan West Central School I and Dagupan West Central School II (National Capital Region).
 
The playing venues for the various sports events, on the other hand, include Capitol Resort (archery), NRSCC (arnis, athletics, basketball, football, tennis and volleyball), CSI Stadia (badminton, and table tennis), PNP PPO (baseball and tennis), Governor's Resthouse (baseball), Binmaley Catholic School (basketball), Lyceum Northwestern University (basketball), Lingayen Municipal Plaza (boxing), Pangasinan Training and Development Center (chess), Pangasinan State University (football, and volleyball), Virgen Milagrosa University (football and tennis), Dagupan People's Astrodome (gymnastics), Arenas Gym (sepak takraw/sipa), Capitol Beachfront (softball), Dagupan Poolsite (swimming), DWAD (taekwondo), Calasiao Tennis Court (tennis), Tonton Elementary School in Lingayen (volleyball), Libsong Barangay Court in Lingayen (volleyball) with Baay Elementary School as alternate venue.
 
The best athletes coming from the country's 17 regions will outshine each other in various sports events that include archery, arnis, badminton, athletics, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw/sipa, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and volleyball. (Sunnex)