ILOILO CITY -- President Rodrigo Duterte who led the opening ceremony of the 60th Palarong Pambansa in Antique urged the student-athletes to have the sense of responsibility and discipline.

In his keynote speech at Binirayan Sports Complex, President Rodrigo Duterte said that this administration’s topmost priority is education citing the importance of the youth’s future role in nation-building.

“This time, education gets the lion’s share sa pera sa distribution, next is agriculture, then health,” he said.

Duterte emphasized that the Department of Education was unanimously chosen as the biggest budget receiver in his administration.

“Malaki talaga ang investment sa inyo, kasi ganito yan, kayo ang tatay pati nanay bukas. Yang bukas na yan will just be few sunrise and sunsets and just around the corner,” he said.

Duterte also stressed that the athletes need to develop a sense of responsibility as they will take on the elder’s tasks in the future.

"So we are trying to build competitiveness, fairness, values, and the sense of goodwill sa inyong mga bata," he said.

The President also instilled upon the student-athletes the sense of discipline which is necessary to the sports they are playing.

“Kailangan ko yan na ipasa sa inyo bago ako mamatay. It is my sacred duty to transfer to you the values to which we hold very dear to us,” he said.

Around 15,000 delegates, local spectators and guests from 18 regions trooped to Antique for this year’s Palarong Pambansa. (PIA)