EDITORS DESK
Palarong Pambansa has truly been the cradle of the nation's most gifted, athletic, and prolific. It is where hidden gems are about to be unearthed, the unpolished but promising ones, who will be scouted, guided, and molded into a version of the next EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo — those stars they aspire to become someday.
They say if you want to be the best, reach Palaro, the premier grassroots sporting event held every year, and let your wits and talents carve your way to the top.
But this year's edition held in Cebu City became a hot topic not because of the multi-medalists or the record-breakers, or maybe the lack thereof.
There wasn't a single doubt each one of the thousands of participants had a vision of triumph, with their hands on the gold medal perching high on their dreams. The fastest and strongest, who end up eclipsing marks by time or distance, might serve as a bonus for hard work, and an entry to history books that will be forever remembered.
But that does not seem to be the case in Palaro's 64th edition in the "Queen City of the South," however.
Philippine Sports Commissioner Edward Hayco confirmed to Manila Bulletin reporter Calvin Cordova that the Cebu City Sports Center track oval was short by 1.5 meters as the supposedly 400-meter lap was just 398.5 meters.
The revalidation was done after reports surfaced at the onset of the Palaro that the track was allegedly substandard. A third party surveyor was tapped to evaluate the venue for the running event, and the results proved that the oval, particularly the markings, did not meet international standards.
What does this mean? New records will be nullified in track events that are farther than 100 meters. Eleven in total.
The Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association will not honor Palaro records which were done in a substandard venue. The local governing body adheres to the practices of World Athletics, thus giving no room for error, be it clerical or the tangibles from the ground operations.
The Department of Education is the main organizer of the Palarong Pambansa.
The unfortunate news surely crushed the hearts of the young athletes who consider Palaro as a sacred place, where excellence is paramount, and finishing times, be it personal or the nation's best, come as a true validation of years' worth of training and endless streaming of blood, sweat, and tears.
Some local government units do the extra mile in honoring their respective athletes: they reward monetary incentives to gold, silver, or bronze medalists, with some handing out upwards of ₱20,000 for the event winners.
How about the supposed record-breakers? Most of the cities and regions allot a separate bonus for athletes who would eclipse Palaro marks, some even offering six figures for such extraordinary feats.
As the curtains fell at the closing ceremony of the Cebu Palaro over the weekend, the National Capital Region asserted its dominance with another overall championship, bagging 98 gold, 66 silver, and 74 bronze medals after the week-long competition.
While most enjoyed victory with a gold in their chest, some left Cebu with much disappointment. Palarong Pambansa should have been a place for greatness, and what better way to show it than to break records and be recognized as an elite athlete, a deserved anecdote for conquering the field, and a suffix that is embedded to one's name and passed on through the pages of history: "A Palaro record-holder."
Sadly, 11 won't be honored as they should be.
(Ramon Rafael C. Bonilla is the Sports Editor of Manila Bulletin.)