Host sets benchmark for future Palaro

TAGUM City, Philippines – The cauldron for the 2015 Palarong Pambansa will be lit in 37 days yet but host Davao del Norte has reaped flying A marks from the Department of Educationa (DepEd).

DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro said Davao del Norte could establish a benchmark for all future editions of the annual Palaro.

“We were not harassed for this Palarong Pambansa 2015. ‘Way ahead of schedule, there’s been no rushing on the part of the hosts,” Luistro said in Thursday’s official launch of the May 3-9 Palaro at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan of the Davao del Norte provincial capitol.

“We are looking at this year as the standard or benchmark for succeeding Palaro,” added Luistro, who was accompanied in the launch by top DepEd officials, including Palarong Pambansa secretary general Undersecratary Tony Umali.

Also officially launched in the well-attended ceremony were the DavNor Palaro website (www.davnorpalaro2015.com <http://www.davnorpalaro2015.com/> ), the games official music video and a first-ever comprehensive 64-page guidebook that provides even the minutest details about the games – from specifics on billeting venues, transportation, medical assistance, communications, tourism, security, among others.

The DavNor Palaro 2015 guidebook, which could stand heads and shoulders even with Olympic and Asian Games guidebooks, will be the bible for this summer’s games.

“It is the privilege of our province to host the Palaro, an opportunity that we finally grasped after years of thorough planning and persistence,” said Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario.“This Palaro speaks the language of the young generation,” del Rosario added. It is through these games that we will not only promote the youth and sports but also the province as the “Banana Capital of the Philippines. “