LAOAG CITY, Philippines — And it’s on.
President Marcos lit up the first-of-its-kind, solar-powered cauldron last night and declared the 2025 Palarong Pambansa open at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium here.
Marcos, who hails from the neighboring city of Batac, rallied the next Filipino champions and Olympians like the legendary Ilocano Shark and two-time Olympic medalist Teofilo Yldefonso.
“Ngayong araw, dito sa Palarong Pambansa ay kayo ang kasali pero sa susunod, kayo na ang kinatawan ng Pilipinas sa Asian Games at sa Olympics kaya paghusayan ninyo,” said the President.
“Malay natin dito sa mga kasama natin na ito, mayroon diyang lilitaw na Manny Pacquiao, Hidilyn Diaz, Carlos Yulo, Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, EJ Obiena o Alex Eala. Tulad nila, ipagpatuloy niyo ang inyong mga pangarap – mag-training araw-araw, mag-aral nang mabuti, sumunod sa mga magulang at alagaan ang kalusugan.”
A bona fide Ilocano, Teofilo Yldefonso’s legend will be further immortalized when the games officially get going across 40 venues here – with the symbol of the iconic swimmer standing tall and proud above every student-athlete like he once was.
Yldefonso’s silhouette is serving as the official logo of this year’s Palaro, symbolizing his athletic excellence and cultural pride for his home province Ilocos Norte.
NOTES: A magnitude 5.4 tectonic earthquake was felt offshore near Luna, La Union yesterday morning but Ilocos Norte ensured that no structural damages have been reported here for the Palarong Pambansa opening to be led by President Marcos. Earthquake response protocols in place have also been enforced by the Regional Incident Management Team.