LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. officially opened the 2025 Palarong Pambansa on Saturday in his home province of Ilocos Norte, where he honored over 15,000 delegates and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening sports in schools and communities.
This year’s delegates include 9,719 athletes and para-athletes, 2,273 team officials, 2,564 delegation officials, and 1,204 technical officials and members of the National Technical Working Group (NTWG).
The largest delegation comes from Western Visayas (Region VI) with 1,005 delegates, while the smallest is from the Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO) with 14 delegates.
Also present are 130 delegates from the National Academy of Sports (NAS).
In his remarks during the opening ceremony, President Marcos commended the student-athletes for their hard work, discipline, and perseverance in balancing academics and rigorous training.
“Hindi madali ang pinagdaanan. ‘Yung oras na ipapahinga ninyo na lang dapat, eh gagamitin ninyo pa sa practice at saka sa training. Mag-aaral sa umaga, tapos ensayo sa hapon. Minsan kulang pa sa gamit o sa panggastos. Ngunit, wala sa inyo ang sumuko (What you went through wasn’t easy. The time you could have spent resting was instead used for practice and training. You studied in the morning, then trained in the afternoon. Sometimes, you lack equipment or money. But none of you gave up),” he said.
The President reaffirmed the government’s support for grassroots sports development and pledged to help young athletes reach their full potential.
“Ang gobyerno ay laging nasa likod ninyo. Tutulungan namin kayong maabot ang inyong mga pangarap. Dahil ang panalo ninyo, panalo na rin namin (The government is always behind you. We will help you reach your dreams. Because your victory is also our victory),” he added.
Education Secretary and Palarong Pambansa Board Chairperson Sonny Angara echoed the President’s commitment, highlighting the need to improve sports facilities, especially in overcrowded schools. “Yung challenge for us, dahil sa ibang lugar, medyo masikip na ‘yung mga eskwelahan. Wala silang facilities for sports. Gusto natin mag-link up kahit sa mga clubs para palakasin ‘yung sports sa ating mga eskwelahan,” Angara said.
He also acknowledged the strong collaboration among stakeholders in ensuring the successful staging of the games.
“Talagang makikita natin dito ‘yung malasakit ng bawat isa—DepEd, LGU, local DepEd office, at siyempre po ‘yung main hosts natin dito sa Ilocos Norte (Here, we can truly see the care and dedication of everyone—DepEd, the LGU, the local DepEd office, and of course, our main hosts here in Ilocos Norte),” he added.
President Marcos concluded his message by encouraging young athletes to dream big and aspire to represent the Philippines globally.
“Dito sa Palarong Pambansa, kayo naman ang kasali. Sa susunod, kayo na ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa Asian Games at saka sa Olympics (Here at the Palarong Pambansa, you are the participants. Next time, you will be the ones representing the Philippines at the Asian Games and the Olympics),” he said, expressing optimism that the next sports icons may emerge from this year’s Palaro.
“Malay natin dito sa mga kasama natin na ito mayroon diyan na lilitaw na (Who knows, among our companions here, there might be someone who will rise to become the next) Manny Pacquiao, na Hidilyn Diaz, na Carlos Yulo, na Aira Villegas, na Nesthy Petecio, na EJ Obiena, o Alex Eala.” PR