THE Cebu City Niños are still the champions.
Cebu City successfully defended its overall title in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet 2026 after finishing on top of the medal standings with 146 gold, 105 silver, and 100 bronze medals.
The final results were released by Department of Education Region 7 late Thursday night, March 26.
Bohol Province placed second with 84 gold medals, followed by Cebu Province in third with 49 golds. Lapu-Lapu City finished fourth, while Mandaue City completed the top five.
Other cities also showed strong efforts. Tagbilaran City ranked sixth, followed by Talisay City and Toledo City. Danao City, Carcar City, City of Naga, and Bogo City rounded out the standings.
Cash rewards for athletes
Cebu City will reward its athletes with a total of P1.145 million in cash incentives.
Mayor Nestor Archival earlier said gold medalists will receive P5,000 each, silver medalists P3,000, and bronze medalists P1,000.
The city sent the biggest team to the competition, with 735 members, including athletes, coaches, and staff.
These rewards are given to thank the student-athletes for their hard work and to encourage more young people to join sports.
Athletics highlights
The athletics events ended Thursday at the Cebu City Sports Center.
In the secondary girls’ discus throw, Bohol’s Jennifer B. Gaum won gold with a throw of 30.65 meters. Cebu City’s Louance Yvaire L. Garcia took silver, while Cebu Province’s Princess Hyra Zaspa earned bronze.
In the secondary boys’ 4x400-meter relay, Bohol also won gold. Cebu Province placed second, while Cebu City finished third.
The five-day track and field competitiont ended with a closing program that included a parade of athletes, medal awarding, and distribution of certificates.
A medical team led by Dr. Jeanette Anne M. Canoy-Matig-a was also present throughout the event to make sure all participants stayed safe and healthy.
The 2026 CVIRAA Meet, hosted by the City of Naga, ran from March 22 to 27 and brought together top student-athletes from across Central Visayas. / CAV & CDF WITH JUNIOR JOURNOS DALLAS DEL MAR, ANGELO ALINABON & CLARABELLE SANCHEZ