BACOLOD City – A young runner from La Castellana, Negros Occidental stunned the field and etched her name into Palarong Pambansa history after breaking the long-standing electronic record in the elementary girls’ 400-meter dash at the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur.
Ashley Nicole Silvor, a student of Tipolo Cabadungga Elementary School and a resident of Barangay Camandag, La Castellana, clocked 1:00.09 minutes to erase the previous Palaro electronic record of 1:00.12 minutes.
The feat delivered one of the highlights for the Negros Island Region (NIR) – The Vipers delegation in the national multi-sport competition.
For Silvor, whose parents both work as delivery riders, the victory came as a surprise in what was also her first appearance in the Palarong Pambansa.
She admitted she never expected to win a gold medal, much less emerge as a new record holder in the prestigious national meet.
With her breakthrough performance, the young sprinter said she now hopes to compete in international competitions in the future.
La Castellana vice mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan hailed Silvor’s achievement, describing the young athlete as a source of pride and inspiration for the region.
“She is our pride. She’s our inspiration,” Mangilimutan said.
Aside from Silvor, three other athletes from NIR also captured gold medals as of May 25 through strong performances in javelin throw events.
The other gold medalists were Marjen Iwayan in the elementary girls’ division, Jonel Metodo Jr. in the elementary boys’ category, and Christine Rose Toquero in the secondary girls’ division.
Iwayan and Metodo are both from Sagay City, while Toquero hails from nearby Escalante City in northern Negros Occidental./PN
