MANILA, Philippines – NCR is once again poised to extend its decades-long chokehold on the Palarong Pambansa overall championship after exploding to a 76-gold, 68-silver, 52-bronze medal total for the 2023 edition in Marikina City as of 10:30 pm Friday, August 4.

Western Visayas, after leading for much of the week-long grassroots sports showcase, has been left in the dust with 54 golds in its haul along with 39 silvers and 36 bronzes. Calabarzon, the last of the long-standing podium region trio, currently stands at third with a 48-49-54 medal total.

NCR gymnasts came in hot on the moving tally after three days of no DepEd official records, most likely due to the gymnastics events being held in Manila instead of Marikina.

Eldrew Yulo headlines that particular charge with an impressive six-gold sweep to his name on Friday in what may be his final stint in the Palarong Pambansa.

Although athletics and swimming continue to be Western Visayas’ bread and butter, a special spotlight goes to the region’s secondary girls volleyball team, which stunned NCR for the gold in a five-set war at the massively-packed Marikina Sports Complex court.

Medal-rich athletics and swimming also tops Calabarzon’s charts with some notable golden sprinkles in badminton and gymnastics.

Day one leader Central Luzon now stands at a distant fourth from Calabarzon with 26 golds, followed by Central Visayas at fifth with 21, and Davao Region at sixth with 19.

As it stands, NCR, Western Visayas, and Calabarzon are once again poised to complete the podium as the 2023 edition wraps up on Saturday, August 5.

No other region has disturbed the trio’s streak in 10 years. Northern Mindanao was the last region to do so back in the 2013 Dumaguete edition as the third overall finisher. – Rappler.com