PUDTOL, Apayao – A group of 21 talented athletes, twelve (12) Volleyball Girls from Alem Elementary School (AES) and nine (9) from Pudtol Vocational High School (PVHS), participated in the Pre-National Qualifying Meet held in the Ilocos Region from July 17 to 20, 2023.
These skilled volleyball players previously represented the province at the 2023 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Meet, where Apayao finished second overall, just behind Baguio City.
Guided by their coaches Roderick Vea and Myrine Agustin for the Elementary level, and Marieflor Ganab Tomas and Sarah Jane Inay for the Secondary level, with the assistance of Christopher Adriano, the AES and PVHS volleybelles demonstrated teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the competition. Their performance during the grueling two-day event was evident as they dominated their opponents with skillful serves, powerful spikes, and impeccable defense.
Although the teams fell short of qualifying for the highly anticipated Palarong Pambansa 2023, they remain grateful to their sponsors, the Provincial Government of Apayao (PGA), and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Pudtol, whose support made their participation in the Pre-Palarong Pambansa 2023 qualifying round possible. Without their assistance, this achievement would not have been possible.
Moving on to the qualified teams, the Ilocos Region (Region I) and Central Luzon (Region III) secured their spots for the Elementary Volleyball Girls and Secondary Volleyball Girls categories at the Palarong Pambansa 2023.
Additionally, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Futsal and Basketball Boys Secondary teams also successfully advanced through the qualifying round.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has officially announced the staging of the Palarong Pambansa this year through DepEd Memorandum (DM) No. 005, s. 2023, which outlines the conduct of the event. The host city for this year’s scholastic multi-purpose competition will be Marikina City.
Collaborating with the DepEd – National Capital Region Office and the Schools Division Office of Marikina City, LGU of Marikina City will host the annual competition from July 28 to August 5, 2023. With the support of the government and the community, the Palarong Pambansa promises to be a celebration of young talents and sportsmanship from all across the nation. By Maureen L. Legazpi
