- GILBERT BAYORAN
Cebu City prevailed over Negros Occidental and Antique in the bid to host the 2024 Palarong Pambansa.
The announcement of the host for the 2024 Palarong Pambansa was made by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte Saturday, during the closing ceremony of the 2023 games at the Marikina Sports Center.
It will be the third time for Cebu City to host the premier sports event of student-athletes in the elementary and secondary levels from 18 regions of the country.
Cebu hosted the games in 1954 and 1994.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson congratulated Cebu City for winning the bidding.
Visayas will have the chance to host the games again in 2028, but Lacson said it will be an election year and there will be a new governor of Negros Occidental.
The hosting rights for the annual Palarong Pambansa follows a Luzon-Visayas-Luzon-Mindanao rotation principle, with Ilocos Norte securing the 2025 staging, as officially announced by the Department of Education during the Palarong Pambansa closing ceremony.
The National Capital Region also ruled the 2023 Palarong Pambansa, with Western Visayas settling for second place.
Official results released by the DepEd showed the NCR finishing with 85 gold medals, 74 silvers, and 55 bronzes to secure the overall championship honors.
At No. 2 is Western Visayas with 60 golds, 45 silvers, and 44 bronzes.
Region 6 topped both in the Demo Sports and Para Games./GB
