The Palarong Pambansa will return to the city after 30 years, besting two other provinces.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Friday officially declared Cebu City as 2024 Palarong Pambansa host as she signed a memorandum of agreement with Mayor Michael Rama at the City Hall and witnessed by city and DepEd officials.

The provincial governments of Antique and Negros Occidental reportedly bid for the sports event.

“On August 2023, we successfully brought back the in-person conduct of the Palarong Pambansa in Marikina. After four years, our best elementary and high school student-athletes were given the opportunity to compete and shine. Today, we sign this memorandum of agreement (MOA) to pave the way for the holding of the 64th edition of the Palarong Pambansa in the Queen City of the South,” Duterte said during the MOA signing ceremony.

She said Cebu City’s hosting of the annual sports competition for elementary and high school students has the full support of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

“Palarong Pambansa is an integral part of our efforts to strengthen our grassroots sports programs, granting various opportunities for sports-inclined youth and exposing them to real-life experiences in their chosen sports,” she added.

Rama, for his part, thanked Duterte and the agency for considering the city as the next host of the national sports event.

“It was an emotional bidding. It was not easy convincing. At the end of the day the fruit of pudding is in the eating so here we are. Nothing to promise but let’s just do it in the name of Sr. Sto Niño. We have to be one and we should make it happen,” the mayor said.

Marikina City was last year’s host.

Cebu City first hosted the Palaro in 1954 and in 1994.

DepEd expected more than 12,000 student-athletes and their coaches will participate in this year’s event. (PNA)