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TARLAC PROVINCE , Philippines – The National Capital Region capped its domination of the Palarong Pambansa with a three-gold haul on the final day to run away with the overall championship for the fifth straight year at the Tarlac Recreational Park here.
The Big City bets spiked their last day assault with a victory in softball as NCR ended Western Visayas’ 22-year reign on a come-from-behind 4-3 victory at the Camp Gen. Servillano Aquino Parade Grounds in Tarlac City.
NCR’s baseball team had an easier time disposing of Western Visayas, 8-1, at the main hub of this Smart-backed annual multi-sports meet for elementary and high school students.
Over at the Ecumenical College Gym, also in the city proper, NCR pulled the rug from under last year’s champion Western Visayas, 25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 25-19, to complete its romp in ballgames.
Host Gov. Vic Yap and Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping officially were on hand during the closing rites with next year’s hosting of the annual event for elementary and high school athletes a tossup between Misamis Oriental or Dapitan in Zamboanga.
Angping, as promised, will hand out P5,000 cash incentives to all record-breakers, including in team events. Yap later announced he’s matching the PSC’s cash incentives.
“They deserve it,” said Angping. NCR accumulated 75 points yesterday for a 347 total. Western Visayas was second with 225.5 and Calabarzon third with 218 points.
In football, Davao Region walloped Central Visayas, 2-0, in a battle of giant-slayers to capture the gold.
Midfielder Jomar Acedo delivered both the two goals – the first on the 39th minute and the other on the 47th – while 5-10 goalie Dominador Tato IV blocked and deflected 10 shots to underscore Davao’s solid defense.
Represented by booters from MR School, Ateneo de Davao, University of Mindanao and Davao City National High School, Davao thus nailed its first title since winning in Tubod, Lanao del Norte seven years ago.
“It’s sweeter because in Tubod, most of the teams that participated there were from Mindanao. This time, everybody participated, so it’s really memorable,” said Davao coach Ramonito Carreon.
NCR also won in girls’ archery chess, taekwondo and lawn tennis and boys’ badminton and table tennis.
The Big City got only 30 points from centerpiece athletics but had the best athlete in the fold – Patrick Unso.
The 16-year-old Unso, son of former Gintong Alay star and holder of the 400m hurdles RP record Renato, ripped the records in the 110-m and 400m hurdles as well as the 4x100m relay before capping his spectacular effort by anchoring the 4x400m relay team to the gold – his fourth.
NCR also dominated girls’ artistic and rhythmic gymnastics behind the the six-gold harvest of pretty Rizza Desiree Garcia, who bagged the same last year in Tacloban.
The NCR tankers also finished second in medal-rich swimming behind four-gold efforts by Gian Berino and Gabriel Lorenzo Castelo, who captured four gold medals apiece.
Western Visayas won in boys’ track and field, chess and arnis while Calabarzon ruled the boys and girls swimming, girls’ athletics, girls’ table tennis, boys’ badminton, men’s artistic gymnastics, girls’ table tennis and boys’ basketball.
Though it only finished third, Calabarzon won the basketball gold.
Unchallenged the whole tournament, reigning San Beda champion routed Western Visayas, 98-72, to nail its first Palaro crown since relocating from the Big City to Taytay, Rizal.
So dominating were the NCR dribblers that they overpowered the opposition with an average winning margin of 27 points in one of the most one-sided competitions in years.
“We’re ecstatic because its our first basketball gold since we represented Calabarzon,” said San Beda coach Brit Reroma, who took over the coaching reins last month from multi-titled coach and now San Beda athletic director Ato Badolato.
Central Visayas finished fourth with 134 followed by Cotabato Region (105.5), Northern Mindanao (71.5), Central Luzon (66.67), Davao Region (60.67), Mimaropa (39) and Caraga (30.5).
NCR also dominated the elementary division with 293 followed by Calabarzon with 184.67 whileNorthern Mindanao (120.5) and host Central Luzon (103.5).
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