Western Visayas dominates pre-Palarong events in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — The visiting Western Visayas squad reigns supreme in cluster 3 with only one ticket missed in the Palarong Pambansa 2023 in Marikina City next month.

The top two squads in the pre-Palaro events held mainly here in Cebu City get to qualify in the Palaro proper.

This is the first time that the Palaro, organized by the Department of Education, is conducting a pre-Palaro event for ballgames to ensure the fastest turnout in the final battle.

Western Visayas ruled 13 events in the pre-Palaro action mainly plus five runner-up finishes.

Western Visayas dominated volleyball except for the secondary boys where it wound up third.

The mostly Ilonggo-speaking squads also ruled in softball, sepak takraw, baseball, elementary boys’ basketball, secondary girls’ futsal, and 3x3 basketball.

Meanwhile, host Central Visayas swept the secondary boys’ and girls’ 5x5 basketball, ruled the secondary girls’ volleyball and sepak takraw along with the secondary boys’ 3x3 and the secondary boys’ football.

Central Visayas also ranked second in elementary girls’ volleyball, secondary girls’ futsal, and elementary and secondary girls’ softball, secondary boys’ sepak takraw, and in the elementary boy’s football and basketball.

Eastern Visayas, on the other hand, failed to top any of the events. But runner-up finishes in secondary boys’ and girls’ volleyball, elementary boys’ sepak takraw, elementary and secondary baseball, and in the girls’ 3x3 were enough for them to keep their title bid alive in the Palaro proper.

Zamboanga Peninsula, the lone region from Mindanao included in cluster 3, prevented a total disaster after securing a Palaro ticket in the elementary boys’ volleyball after ranking second to Western Visayas.