Sports Development officer for Ilocos Norte Helen Rose Domingo (left) and Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary for Operations and Secretary General of the Palarong Pambansa-Department of Education Malcolm Garma hold a press conference for the opening of the 65th Palarong Pambansa at the DepEd office in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Friday (May 23, 2025). President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will lead the opening of the country’s premier scholastic sports competition for grade school and high school student-athletes on May 24. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will headline the opening ceremony of the 65th Palarong Pambansa, set to take place this Saturday at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Ilocos Norte.
The national sports event returns to President Marcos’ hometown for the first time in 57 years, bringing together 15,675 delegates from all 17 regions of the country. The annual multi-sport competition, organized by the Department of Education, showcases the athletic talents of elementary and secondary student-athletes under the theme “Nagkakaisang Kapuluan” (United Archipelago).
President Marcos is set to officially open the Games with a keynote address, emphasizing the vital role of youth and sports in nation-building.
Joining him is weightlifting icon Hidilyn Diaz, who made history as the Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Diaz will lead the Oath of Coaches and Technical Officials and also serve as the technical director for weightlifting, which will be featured as a demonstration sport.
The opening festivities will begin at 5 p.m. with the traditional Parada ng mga Atleta (Parade of Athletes) along Rizal Street and Sirib Mile, featuring colorful regional delegations, drum and lyre corps, and energetic cheer squads.
This year’s cultural program, “Palakasan (Sports): Tales of Filipino Strength,” will spotlight Ilocano history and heritage. The performances will pay tribute to legendary figures such as Lam-ang, the 1807 Basi Revolt heroes who resisted Spanish control of the local sugarcane wine trade, and Ilocano swimming Olympian Teofilo Yldefonso. These narratives aim to celebrate the region’s legacy of courage, resilience, and bayanihan (communal unity).
Gerick Jhon Flores, a standout baseball player and record-setter at the 11th BFA U12 Asian Baseball Championship in Japan, will deliver the Athlete’s Oath.
The ceremonial lighting of the Palarong Pambansa lightbeam will be led by notable alumni from past editions of the Games, Southeast Asian Games, and Paralympics, including Jemmuelle James Espiritu (archery), Mark Anthony Domingo (athletics), Jesson Cid (decathlon), Roger Tapia (para-athletics), and Eric Ang (trap shooting).
Singer Angeline Quinto will lend her voice to patriotic anthems “Ako ay Pilipino” and “Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas” during the event.
The 2025 Palarong Pambansa is hosted by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte under the leadership of Governor Matthew Manotoc and Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, in partnership with the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte.
