The Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Eagles placed sixth in the unofficial and partial overall medal tally of the 2025 Palarong Pambansa as of 8:12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, with a total of eight golds, nine silvers, and 12 bronzes.
Leading the charge for the Davao Eagles was the athletics team, which delivered three gold medals. These came from standout athletes Marco Antonio Arela (secondary boys 2,000-meter walkathon) and Hannah Ashlei Regaya (secondary girls shot put) of Santo Tomas National High School (STNHS) in Davao del Norte, and Mechelle Ann Gonato (secondary girls triple jump) of Hagonoy National High School in Davao del Sur.
Athletics also produced two silver medalists: Charmel Semejon of Federico Yap National High School in Davao del Sur, who shone in the secondary girls javelin throw, and Emmanuel Wenceslao of Lawa Central Elementary School in Davao Occidental, who finished strong in the elementary boys triple jump. Meanwhile, Davao City's Jhonny Rebron Tabale of A. Mabini Elementary School salvaged a bronze in the elementary boys' 100-meter dash.
Taekwondo proved to be another powerhouse for Davao, adding two more gold medals through Elaiza Jane Irog-irog of Tagum City and Carmen Estefan Marianito of Mati City. The taekwondo team also brought in one silver, courtesy of Nona Liane Lorenzana, and three bronzes from Marba Marjeryl, Pheos Clark Ampatin, and Milky Zhedick Dave Flores.
The chess, table tennis, and billiards contingents each added a gold to the tally. In chess, Hannah Segara of Buhisan Elementary School in Davao City teamed up with Davao Oriental’s Alexie Timkang to win the elementary girls' blitz team event, while Segara also earned a silver in the individual category.
In table tennis, France Echo Apolonio, Estanlee Ceballos, and Khrix Brylle Sagario from Davao City, together with Francis Carl Reyes from the Island Garden City of Samal, dominated the elementary boys team event.
In billiards, Panabo City’s Joseph Lanoy delivered a golden performance in the secondary boys' 8-ball singles.
The region’s silver medal haul also featured Juan Alessandro Suarez and Honey Jee Quimpo in swimming, Mark Benson Francisco in arnis, and Kei Nigel Teves in gymnastics. In arnis, the secondary boys synchronized likha anyo team, composed of John Tyrone Anajao, Aethan Razy Fujita, and Arzyan Fujita, also placed second.
Additional bronzes came from a range of sports. Arnisadors Aethan Razy Fujita and Ariane Kaye Parami earned individual honors, while pencak silat fighters Jenelyn Presquito and Abby Claire Turba made their mark. In gymnastics, Chalsea Louise Tuazon and Juliana Faith Burlas, as well as the elementary girls' rhythmic gymnastics group composed of Burlas, Illyssa Roux Presto, and Ayeisha Nhicole Raymundo, all contributed to the count. Table tennis also added more bronzes through the secondary boys team of Lauriano Apolonio, Fatrickly Caballero, Stephen Gabriel Llemit, and Cornelio Jose Mamac, and the mixed doubles pair of Llemit and Dee Anne Enaro.
In 2024, the Davao Eagles soared to fourth place, bringing home 32 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes from Cebu. This year, the target was clear: climb even higher.
"Our target is third because we were fourth last year," said Department of Education (DepEd) Davao Regional Director Allan Farnazo. "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 aimed for fifth," he quipped in an interview with SunStar Davao, blending ambition with lighthearted humor.
With more events still unfolding, the Davao Eagles remain optimistic about surpassing last year’s feat and soaring even higher. MLSA