‘Palaro’ is ticket to college for athletes

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—For 17-year-old volleyball player Raymond Bautista, the annual Palarong Pambansa is more than just an athletic competition. It has become his ticket to a college education.

This three-time Palaro delegate from the Ilocos region has been offered sports scholarships by big universities for the coming school year.

“If not for sports, I’m sure I won’t be able to go to college this June because we are so poor,”  Bautista said. His family earns a living through farming rice and watermelon in a rented land in Mangaldan town.

His first Palaro was in the 2007 games hosted by South Cotabato, where the Ilocos volleyball team emerged as champion.

Bautista found himself playing in the games once more last year in Dapitan City, with his team bagging the 11th place, and again this year.

Many athletes like him have realized that their achievements in sports have opened doors of opportunity.

“The Palarong Pambansa is where the big schools discover future sports stars,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

Professional basketball star Danny Ildefonso, who was the opening torch bearer for this year’s national games, was a product of the Palaro.

Ildefonso, the pride of Urdaneta City, had represented the Ilocos region high school basketball team during the 1992 and 1993 Palarong Pambansa.

Like Bautista, Ildefonso also had to struggle with poverty in his early years, engaging in farming to sustain his family. He later played for the National University Bulldogs in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines before he became the youngest player to join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Asked about the Palaro’s impact on students, Ildefonso said: “Just keep doing your best, no matter the hardships you encounter. You made it this far, and you can make it further if you just believe and push yourself to your maximum potential.”

Gov. Amado Espino Jr. said assistance and support to Pangasinan athletes do not stop after they graduate from high school.

The sports facilities at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center had been improved not just for this year’s Palarong Pambansa but also for the promotion of sports in the province, he said, adding that the center would later serve as Pangasinan’s sports academy.

“This is the new impetus of the province to continually promote sports,” he said. With the sports academy, Pangasinan athletes will have full access to the sports gear and equipment, including a dormitory that can serve 850 people.