Palaro final grade: A+

Returning to Pangasinan after 17 years, 17 regions competed in 17 events and experienced a higher level of safety, professionalism and security at the Palarong Pambansa. Overall, from participants to media practitioners to the partner Department of Education, the province received rave reviews even days after the closing.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr. assigned each provincial government department to oversee the accommodations in a particular billeting area. Each venue had at least one provincial board member, 10 police officers, a full medical team and a liaison designated to it, a first for the Palaro.

“The delegates had joined many Palarong Pambansa events, but in terms of accommodation, they said Pangasinan is the best,” said Provincial Gegal Officer Geraldine Baniqued, who was in charge of West Central I and West Central II in Dagupan City, which were occupied by the bulk of the 695-strong National Capital Region (NCR) delegation. Baniqued added that the delegates were even surprised that there were give-aways like t-shirts from the provincial government.

One delegation head even went so far as to say that this was the first time their officials had been able to sleep soundly at night because they felt absolutely safe. This was in fulfillment of one of the promises of Espino, the provincial PNP commander in 1995, when the Palaro was first held in Pangasinan. Espino led the team that built the international-standard Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC), where 10 of the 17 events were held.

Region IV-B or the MIMAROPA-Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan delegates, were billeted at the Tandoc Elementary School and Tandoc National High School in San Carlos City. The group arrived ahead of all other delegations on April 17, a full three weeks before the Palaro was to officially open, but found the organizing committee ready to receive them. The 648-member delegation expressed appreciation for a welcome party held on May 4, held in cooperation with the Department of Education.

The first two days saw NCR and Western Visayas make away with the first medals at stake. The moratorium on outdoor games from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. drastically cut down on the injuries and heat stroke which marred past stagings of the event. On the other hand, it also helped the children competing break new records even until the last few events. 

On May 10, Espino hosted an appreciation dinner for some 200 members of the media covering the Palaro at the magnificent and historic Sison Auditorium. There, he expressed his gratitude to the media for continuing to support the Palarong Pambansa activities even as he encouraged them to deliver only the real status of events, no more, no less. Espino reiterated the four guiding characteristics of the Palaro which he wanted to achieve: a green and environment-friendly, hi-tech games, and continuity and cooperation/partnership between the provincial and national government. It was, after all, the first Palaro attended by Chief Executive Noynoy Aquino.

“If properly guided and orchestrated, we can produce athletes for the Southeast Asian Games, or even the Olympics,” the governor added.

Espino finally revealed the sports that will be incorporated in the Sports Academy of the provincial government after the Palarong Pambansa, such as boxing, taekwondo, arnis and sepak takraw. Members of the media lauded not just the efforts, but the results of Espino’s vision of a benchmark Palaro.   

“Like any other sports event of this magnitude, there are birth pains but after the highlight of the Palaro, which was the opening ceremony, everything’s been fine. The participants have been very excited,” said Bong Pedralvez of Malaya.

In a press tour for the national media organized by the provincial government the week before the games, the first thing mediamen noticed was the cleanliness of the province, particularly around the Capitol, which stood abandoned for two decades prior to Espino’s election.

“This is my first time to go to the Palaro, and in going around over four days, all I and my companions can say is how beautiful and clean your province is. We have been received very well. Everything was well-prepared,” Bombo Radyo-Bacolod reporter Romeo Camporaso said.

“Congratulations, Gov. Espino,” freelance sports photographer Jojo Rinoza added. “Even if there were minor glitches at the start, they were solved right away.”

Pangasinan definitely raised the bar for future hosts of the Palaro.

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The International DJ Association Philippines launches its Spinfest along with a Turntablism Workshop in cooperation with Looper Beat Academy today at 5 p.m. at Tian di Mansion, Opium Underground near Jose Rizal University.

The event will introduce IDA Philippines and feature a free workshop on basic scratching and beat juggling as well as a history about turntablism. IDA is the worldwide body for turntablists or DJs based in Europe. Highlight of the event will be a jam showcase by DJ Skin Kadafi, DJ Supremefist and All-Star Turntablists and an open jam. IDA will soon be conducting its first Philippine competition, with the winner earning the right to represent the country in the IDA Worlds in Poland.

This free event is presented by IDA Philippines, Looper Beat Academy, JB Music (Numark DJ Equipment) and FMCC (Francis M Clothing).