The Davao Eagles, the official delegation of the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa), aim for a third-place overall finish in the Palarong Pambansa 2025, which will be held from May 24 to June 2 in Laoag City.
Department of Education (DepEd) Davao regional director Allan Farnazo underscored the team’s determination to improve on last year’s performance.
(Our target is third because we were fourth last year. If we're going to set a target, there's no way but up. It would be embarrassing if we were fourth already and then set a target of fifth)," he said, blending optimism with a touch of humor.
In the 2024 Palaro held in Cebu City, the Davao Eagles placed fourth, collecting 32 gold, 25 silver, and 35 bronze medals, a solid improvement from their sixth-place finish in 2023 in Marikina City.
Earlier this year, Farnazo confidently announced their goal to break into the top three, partly due to the anticipated split of the Western Visayas Region Athletic Association (WVIRAA), with Negros Island expected to form its delegation. However, recent updates revealed that Western Visayas will remain a single region for this year’s games.
"Last Palaro na daw ni run nga isa lang ang Western Visayas. Murag next year na Palaro na mag separate ang Negros Island sa ilaha (This is reportedly the last Palaro where Western Visayas will compete as one region. Starting next year, Negros Island is expected to participate separately)," Farnazo told SunStar Davao following a recent coordination meeting in Laoag.
Western Visayas, a perennial powerhouse, secured third place in the 2024 Palaro with an impressive 56 gold, 41 silver, and 41 bronze medals, posing a continued challenge to Davao’s podium ambitions.
Despite this, Farnazo remains unfazed: "Our third overall target will remain the same regardless of the latest development with Western Visayas and Negros Island. Again, there's no way but up. We will keep aiming for improvement."
Nearly 800 members of the Davao Eagles delegation safely arrived in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, between May 17 and 20, and have now settled in their billeting quarters at Bingao National High School, Bingao Elementary School, and the BES Annex, ready to represent the region with pride and purpose.
The 723-member Davao delegation includes 596 athletes from the elementary, secondary, and para games divisions, with 87 coaches, 21 assistant coaches, and 19 chaperones. This count does not yet include the delegation officials, led by Regional Director Allan Farnazo.
After settling in, the athletes quickly resumed training to acclimate to their venues, eager and ready to soar higher in this year’s national games. MLSA