CEBU CITY, Philippines — The 2024 Palarong Pambansa is set to proceed as planned despite Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent resignation, key stakeholders said.
Adolf Aguilar, assistant superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd), expressed confidence that Duterte’s resignation will not affect the national sports event.
He noted that since her resignation is effective until July 19, Duterte will continue her duties and hopefully will be present for the opening of the annual sports meet.
“The Vice President will be present until July 19 and will continue her duties as secretary [of DepEd] until then. The structure of DepEd is managed by career executives and permanent employees, and we have the Palarong Pambansa governing body in place,” Aguilar said in a press conference on Thursday, June 20.
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Aguilar also said that preparations are well underway, with no updates indicating any changes to the Palaro in relation to Duterte’s resignation.
In fact, he mentioned that the central office has been preparing the program for the opening and closing ceremonies, which means that the event will proceed as planned.
“The show must go on,” Aguilar remarked.
At the same press conference, John Pages, chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), highlighted Duterte’s integral role in the Palarong Pambansa 2024’s planning and execution.
He mentioned that Duterte’s involvement has been crucial since the event’s inception, with key decisions passing through her.
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Pages noted that she had recently visited Cebu City for a signing ceremony and subsequent meetings. He believes that Duterte likely considered the smooth transition to a new secretary by the end of July in her decision, and he hopes to see the event completed by July 19 as part of her tenure.
Pages outlined the logistics for the Palarong Pambansa 2024, with the formal opening scheduled for July 1. Delegations from Luzon are expected to arrive on June 20, with most arrivals staggered between July 1 and 5, due to airline and shipping schedules from Luzon and Mindanao.
“The arrivals will be staggered due to the availability of airline and shipping schedules… [Cebu City] is expected to be very busy starting on June 27,” Pages explained.