THOUSANDS of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and Negrenses flocked to the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Sunday, December 16, as the 2018 Palarong Panlalawigan opened.

With the theme “Sports; Building Unity, Producing Champions,” this week-long event aims to promote physical education and sports as an integral part of basic education for the holistic development of the youth to become responsible and globally competitive citizens of the country; inculcate in their minds the spirit of discipline, teamwork, excellence, fair play, solidarity, sportsmanship and other values inherent in sports; promote and achieve peace by means of sports; and select the best athletes to represent the province in the upcoming Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet next year in Roxas, Capiz.

Leading the opening rites were Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Department of Education-Western Visayas director Gemma Ledesma, along with other government officials.

Areas to compete in 16 sports disciplines are Area 1 composed of the cities of San Carlos and Escalante, and towns of Calatrava and Toboso; Area 2: cities of Sagay and Cadiz, and Manapla town; Area 3: cities of Victorias, Silay and Talisay, and towns of EB Magalona and Murcia; Area 4: cities of Bago and La Carlota, and towns of Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique and Pontevedra; Area 5: Himamaylan City and towns of Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Isabela, Hinigaran and Binalbagan; Area 6: cities of Kabankalan, Sipalay, and towns of Cauayan, Candoni, Hinoba-an, and Ilog; Area 7: Bacolod City; Area 8: represented by Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports, Cultural and Educational Association; Area 9: Negros Occidental High School; and Area 10: Association of Negros Occidental Private Schools and School Administrators Inc.

The events to be contested are arnis, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, sipa, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and volleyball, among others.