Laguna promises memorable Palarong Pambansa week

MANILA, Philippines – After good reception of Dumaguete City’s hosting of the 2013 Palarong Pambansa, Laguna is setting their sights on a more extravagant games this year as they host the biggest sporting event in the country on May 4 to 10. 

Beating three other provinces and a city – Palawan, Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, and Marikina – that bid to host the 2014 edition of the Palaro, Laguna is making sure that the one-week event will go without a hitch as they do their final preparations in hosting athletes from the country’s 17 regions.

As early as November of last year, the provincial government of Laguna has been making sure that all the facilities – the athlete’s village, track oval, bleachers, archery, rifle, and pistol ranges, and the gym – will be finished just in time to accommodate the estimated 6,000 participants and guests expected to flock to their province for the games.

The number of participants is down from around 7,000 last year as many regions have been unable to send as many representatives due to calamities like Typhoon Yolanda, the earthquake in Bohol and the Zamboanga crisis, said Department of Education representative to Palaro Ernie Talaro.

Also attributing to the lower number of participants is that elementary school age children will not be allowed to participate in boxing events following the death of Jonas Garcia in December during a DepEd sanctioned boxing event. Some regions have decided not to send any boxers at all.

The organizing committee has also addressed the need for improvements in the venues and billeting quarters’ drainage and water system, according to the games’ official website. 

With several delegations already arriving in Laguna, the Laguna Traffic Management Office has guaranteed to monitor and organize the traffic situation around the venues to give their visitors a stress-free experience in traveling from one event to another.

A total of 20 sporting events will be played in the 57^th staging of the Palarong Pambansa with wushu being the lone demonstration sport and wrestling making its debut in the 2014 edition.

This year’s Palaro hosts Calabarzon will try to bounce back after they fell to fifth place in the 2013 final medal tally. NCR, meanwhile, will bank on medal-rich events like swimming and gymnastics as they gun for 10-peat in Laguna. – Rappler.com with reports from Ryan Songalia