PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- The 2008 Palarong Pambansa opens at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex at 5 p.m. here Sunday without guest speaker President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Organizers have yet to find her replacement as of Saturday but Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus is most likely to lead the charge in the opening rites that expects to attract some 17,000 delegates of athletes, coaches and officials from 17 competing regions. They will assemble at 2:30 p.m. at the Palawan State University for the parade.
In the program proper, Puerto Princesa Vice-Mayor Lucilo Bayron will hoist the national flag together with DepEd Region 4 OIC Luisa Yu while greetings will be given by Palawan Province Governor Joel Reyes, Palawan first District Representative Antonio Alvarez, and second district Representative Abraham Kahlil Mitra.
Last year's Palaro host Koronadal City Mayor Fernando Miguel and DepEd Region 12 director Luz Almeda will turn over the Palaro banner to Mayor Hagedorn and Yu. Lapus, Yu and Hagedorn will then hoist the Palaro banner.
Puerto Princesa City schools division superintendent Servillano Arzaga will hoist the Puerto Princesa banner with Puerto Princesa City Council chairman on education committee Eleutheriu Edualino.
DepEd regional directors and and regional Pess chiefs will hoist their respective delegation banners speech.
Puerto Princesa's team of John Geremson Frago, Michael Angelo Zumaraga, Sid Estrera, Marion John Duran and John Jeffrey Villaverde, that won the bronze medal in the 2006 Asean Schools Sepak Takraw Championship in Malaysia, will light the urn of friendship while their teammate Ronsten Gabayeron will lead the oath of sportsmanship.
A grand fireworks display will wrap up the event that expects a good media mileage considering the number of sportswriters and photographers who arrived from Metro Manila, Davao, Bacolod, Cebu and other regions to cover the games.
Puerto Princesa is indeed abuzz with activity this week. It also lived up to its reputable hospitality as a soldiers' band greets every flight arrival of tourists and Palaro delegates at the Puerto Princesa airport. VIPs were given shell-stringed lays.
A Palaro information and reception desk, meanwhile, was put up at the arrival area as a group of Puerto Princesa kids danced to welcome guests outside the airport. (MLSA)
