Approximately 80 percent of the delegates for the Palarong Pambansa 2024 have already arrived in Cebu City.
John Pages, Cebu City Sports commissioner, said Friday, July 5, 2024, that the 12,000 athletes, coaches, teams and officials representing the 19 delegations have been arriving.
“The teams have been arriving in batches, and we expect everyone to be here by Saturday,” said Pages.
Athletes from Northern Mindanao arrived on Friday morning, July 5, followed by Zamboanga Peninsula participants.
Delegates from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon and Palawan arrived on Thursday, July 4.
On July 3, participants from the Cagayan Valley, Caraga and Davao regions arrived.
Training
Pages said the Department of Education principals and teachers representing the 20 billeting schools have also been preparing for the delegations’ arrival.
He added that the athletes have been leaving their billeting quarters to visit the playing venues to get an actual feel for the games.
“We have opened up the facilities so they can train before the actual competition from July 11 to 15,” said Pages.
The Palarong Pambansa will open on July 9, with a parade at Osmeña Blvd. at 3:30 p.m. and the opening ceremony at 5 p.m.
The event will conclude with a closing ceremony on July 16 at 5 p.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center.
After they met with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, Pages said the Cebu Provincial Government would shoulder the entire cost of the closing ceremony, which amounts to P8 million.
“We expect a spectacular, never-seen-before show,” said Pages. (John Paul Ryan Seblos)