Larong Pinoy, also known as the Philippine Indigenous Games, will be introduced in the 2019 Palarong Pambansa when it is held in Davao City from April 27 to May 4.
Staging traditional games played by Filipinos will help to strengthen and revive cultural events like the kadang-kadang, patintero, hilahang lubid, and karera ng sako.
The new events were unveiled when the Department of Education and the City Government of Davao officially signed the memorandum of agreement on the hosting of the Games yesterday at the Davao City Hall.
The MOA, which specifies the duties and responsibilities of the Department and the City Government, was formalized by an agreement signed by DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
This year’s Palaro will hold the theme “Shaping the Future Through Sports.”
Under the agreement, some of the duties and responsibilities of DepEd include coordination with Davao City for the necessary security provisions and measures, transportation and communications provisions, and other requirements for the event.
Their responsibilities also include the playing venues and billeting quarters for the regional delegations and national technical officials.
The DepEd will run the different sports events according to the specifications prescribed by the Palaro Technical Management and Games Administration Committee.
Organizers will also have the Sports Heroes Day, which will serve as an opportunity for young athletes to personally interact with their sports idols and icons.