THOUSANDS of student-athletes, coaches, officials, and Negrenses are expected to flock to the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Sunday, December 8, for the opening rites of the 2019 Palarong Panlalawigan.
With the theme "Negros Occidental: Sustaining School Sports Supremacy," the week-long event will run until December 13.
This Department of Education (DepEd)-led hostilities aim 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 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet next year in Aklan.
Meanwhile, all coaches and technical officials are required to attend the solidarity meeting on Saturday, December 7, at 8 a.m., at the Negros Occidental High School Quadrangle.
Expected to lead the opening ceremony are Governor Eugenio Lacson, DepEd-Western Visayas officer-in-charge Gemma Ledesma, alongside provincial and local government officials.
Among the areas competing 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.