Palaro a tall order, but Queen City ready for tough challenge ahead

Staging the Palarong Pambansa is a tall order for the City of Cebu as it is expected not only to carry out a successful hosting but also to set new standards for the centerpiece sporting event of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The city’s hosting of the 64th Palaro was formally sealed with the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between the DepEd led by its secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte, and the local government of Cebu City headed by Mayor Mike Rama at the City Hall yesterday.

“This underscores a shared commitment to creating the optimal environment for our youth athletes to interact, compete and excellence in their chosen field,” said Duterte in her speech.

With a unanimous vote from the Palarong Pambansa selection committee, Duterte expects nothing but the best experience for the “Matatag” learners while thanking the Cebu City LGU for “generously accepting the responsibility of hosting the 64th edition of the Palarong Pambansa”.

“The unique character and vaunted hospitality of Cebu City will make this year’s Palaro even more memorable for all our student-athletes, ” she said.

Duterte continued by saying that their primary goal is to equip the student-athletes the necessary tools to nurture, discipline, resilience, and the indomitable spirit required to pursue their athletic passions.

“Our collective mission is to empower them on their path to achieving professional excellence in the realm of sports,” added VP Duterte.

Duterte is excited for what the city can offer this time after 30 years since its last hosting.

“I wholeheartedly believe that Cebu City, in fact very excited, that Cebu City will ensure a well-secured and world-class venue for our learners to showcase their abilities and guarantee a memorable Palaro for all the delegates, “Duterte said.

Looking back, Rama said it was an emotional bidding for them and here they are now.

“Since 1994 the last Palarong Pambansa we had here in Cebu City and now 2024, as it was written, it shall be done. It was an emotional bidding, it was not an easy convincing. But at the end of the day, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. So here we are. Nothing to promise because promises are meant to be broken, but let’s just do it!,” Rama said.

The rest of the local organizing committee though promises a “world-class” hosting of the games.

Palaro secretary-general Francis Cesar Bringas said the manner of how the city presented its bid and how it complied with the stringent requirements and validated it in the actual evaluation itself made them say yes to Cebu City.

And with the capacity and experience of Cebu City as host of many national and international events in the past, Bringas said the athletes are expected to level up their experiences.

“We would be expecting our learners to be experiencing how to play in world-class facilities,” Bringas said.

“Cebu City is aiming to set the bar higher so they will be the standards of the Palarong Pambansa in the future. We are anticipating that. That is a challenge that was accepted and they’ve been true to their preparations,” Bringas said.

A tedious task is in the offing but Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman John Pages said they are ready for any challenge that lies ahead of them.

“We’ve been waiting for 30 years for this moment and we are ready for it,” says Pages. “We really want this Palaro a very memorable experience to the athletes, coaches and the rest from the games and even before and after the games.”

As of now, the final date for the Palaro is still being finalized as it will be dependent on the changes of the end of the current school-year and the opening of the new school-year.