MANILA – Following Occidental Mindoro’s withdrawal, Marikina City will be stepping in as the host of the 2020 Palarong Pambansa, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.
In a memorandum from DepEd undersecretary Atty. Revsee Escobedo, Palarong Pambansa secretary-general, the Division of Marikina City was tasked to submit a list of possible sporting venues and billeting areas for the delegates.
Occidental Mindoro was forced to withdraw from Palarong Pambansa hosting after it was devastated by Typhoon “Tisoy” in November, with damages amounting to more than P800 million.
The supposed budget for the hosting of the sporting event was allocated by the local government unit instead to help the victims of the said typhoon.
It was the supposed to be Occidental Mindoro’s first time to host Palarong Pambansa and the second in the Mimaropa region after Puerto Princesa City hosted the games in 2008.
On the part of Marikina City, this will be the first time for them to host Palarong Pambansa. It was also the fifth time that the sporting event is to be held in National Capital Region, first since Quezon City played host in 1966./PN
