ILOILO City – Western Visayas clinched third place overall in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa held in Ilocos Norte from May 24 to June 1, with standout performances in the Para Games and a record-breaking sprint from an elementary girl running barefoot.
The region amassed a total of 44 gold, 54 silver, and 58 bronze medals, finishing behind perennial powerhouse National Capital Region (NCR) and second placer CALABARZON (Region IV-A).
NCR dominated the medal tally with 117 golds, 70 silvers, and 50 bronzes, while CALABARZON followed with 47 golds, 68 silvers, and 66 bronzes.
Western Visayas delivered its strongest showing in the Para Games, where it emerged as overall champion, winning 23 golds, 21 silvers, and 14 bronzes.
In the elementary division, the region ranked third (20 golds, 22 silvers, 22 bronzes), while it settled for fourth in the secondary division (24 golds, 32 silvers, 36 bronzes).
One of the most celebrated victories came from Trixia Anne Arellano, who stunned spectators by running barefoot and setting a new record in the elementary girls’ 200-meter dash.
Arellano clocked in at 26.4 seconds, breaking the long-standing 2008 record of 26.7 seconds held by Maureen Schrijvers.
“Her journey from the grassroots level to the national stage proves that champions are forged through perseverance,” the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 said in a statement.
The region also shocked basketball fans after eliminating defending champion NCR — represented by National University-Nazareth School — in the secondary boys’ quarterfinals, with St. Robert’s International College of Western Visayas pulling off a 76-67 upset.
However, Western Visayas fell short in the finals, losing to Ateneo de Davao University, representing Davao Region.
Meanwhile, Western Visayas’ bid for a volleyball three-peat in the secondary girls’ division ended in disappointment, as NU Nazareth School of NCR reclaimed the crown with a dominant 25-12, 25-14, 25-8 sweep in the championship match on May 30 at the PCV Socio-Civic and Cultural Center in Bacarra.
The Western Visayas delegation was composed of over 1,015 participants, including 608 athletes, 152 coaches and assistant coaches, 152 chaperons, 249 committee members, and six honorary members. Despite falling short of the championship, the region’s overall performance was hailed for its resilience and surprise upsets./PN
