NCR extends overall reign, but loses HS basketball crown to Central Visayas

National Capital Region defended its home turf after reclaiming the overall champion title in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa despite surrendering its crown in boys secondary basketball on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Marikina Sports Complex.

Jared Bahay (center) leads Central Visayas to a pulsating win over NCR in the 2023 Palarong Pambansa secondary boys basketball finals. (Arnold Quizol)

The Big City bets successfully extended their overall reign in the annual multisport grassroots event for the 16th straight time with 85 golds, 74 silvers and 55 bronzes as of press time, although they were not as dominant as the past years after only pulling away in the final two days of the competitions.

This year's showing was much of the same with NCR's performance in the 2019 Palaro in Davao City where it collected 86 golds, 71 silvers and 56 bronzes although it was still way below from its average of 110 gold medals since 2012 including the five times it collected at least 100 golds.

The overall win also didn’t come without a scare as Calabarzon and Western Visayas, at some point during the week-long meet, took the pole position in the medal standings.

A strong showing in the athletics events anchored Western Visayas’ medal haul, finishing second with 60 golds, 45 silvers and 44 bronzes while Calabarzon was a consistent force in almost all of the events to come in third with 52 golds, 52 silvers and 57 bronzes.

NCR managed to pull away from the tight race -- all thanks to its gold-medal surge in swimming, taekwondo, and aerobic and rhythmic gymnastics in the last two days. 

Karl Eldrew Yulo was also a big part of the hosts’ medal haul with his six golds in the artistic gymnastics, sharing the podium with Central Visayas archer Naina Dominique Tagle as the most bemedalled athletes in this edition.

NCR's campaign, however, was dampened by its failure to defend the boys secondary basketball crown after the National University-backed squad yielded Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu of Central Visayas, 77-73.

Jared Bahay, a former Gilas Pilipinas boys team member, played like a house on fire to anchor Central Visayas by dropping 29 points including a dagger long two-pointer with 40 seconds left to secure the gold.

Central Visayas actually finished with 26 golds, 18 silvers and 35 bronzes.

"We’re blessed. The goal of our program is to compete with the NCR and to be No. 1. Wala na tayong masabi dito. I'm grateful na binigay ni Lord," said Ateneo de Cebu coach Rommel Rasmo, who was emotional after the momentous win that also ended the Big City’s three-year reign in the sport.

Palarong Pambansa is heading back to Visayas with Cebu City, which last hosted the national games in 1994, winning the bid to host next year’s edition.