Davao Region surged to third place overall in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa, turning a week-long climb from the lower half of the standings into one of its strongest finishes in recent years and improving on last year's fourth-place result in Ilocos Norte.
Davao Eagles Lock Third Place
The Davao Eagles locked up third place overall in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa with 34 gold, 32 silver and 34 bronze medals. The Eagles finished behind perennial powerhouse National Capital Region, which topped the standings with 91 golds, 71 silvers, and 71 bronzes, and Calabarzon, which placed second with a 55-50-60 medal haul.
Despite the strong finish, Department of Education-Davao Regional Director Allan Farnazo said the delegation had initially targeted a higher placement.
"Actually, we were targeting number two," Farnazo told SunStar Davao in a Viber interview Saturday night.
Still, he described the third-place finish as an achievement worth celebrating, especially given the improved performances of several Mindanao regions.
"We are not the only region that came to the Palarong Pambansa prepared. We also have to recognize the other regions that came prepared," Farnazo said.
He noted that Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and Caraga all significantly improved their medal totals, making the competition tougher across Mindanao.
Farnazo said Davao's performance reflected both talent and effort and should be appreciated despite some painful losses, including the secondary boys' basketball team's failed title defense.
"Performance such as this is a performance that we need to celebrate, to appreciate talent and appreciate effort," he said.
Dancesport and Swimming Shine
The regional chief cited swimming and dancesport among the bright spots of the campaign. After failing to win a swimming gold medal last year, Davao finally broke through with Maquiling's victory in the elementary boys' 50-meter breaststroke.
While dancesport delivered fewer golds than last year's 14-medal haul, Farnazo said the sport again proved crucial in keeping Davao among the nation's elite.
He also credited the overwhelming support from parents, coaches, local government units, and schools throughout the weeklong competition.
"The strength of our participation this year is the very prominent presence of our parents' cheer team," Farnazo said. "Wherever you go, the maroon colors dominate the field."
Top 10 Final Standings
Central Visayas finished fourth with 32 gold, 30 silver, and 44 bronze medals, while Western Visayas placed fifth with 31 golds, 36 silvers, and 45 bronzes.
Host region Caraga sustained its strong campaign to finish sixth with 30 gold medals, 19 silvers, and 48 bronzes followed by Northern Mindanao and Central Luzon, each with 27 gold medals. Northern Mindanao took seventh on a higher silver-medal count, 31, compared to Central Luzon's 27 silvers.
Soccsksargen placed ninth with 19 gold, 25 silver, and 32 bronze medals, while Zamboanga Peninsula rounded out the top 10 with 17 golds, 11 silvers, and 13 bronzes.
The standings highlighted the growing competitiveness of the Mindanao delegations, with Davao Region, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and Zamboanga Peninsula all finishing inside the top 10. Their strong showing reflected a shift in the national sports landscape as several Mindanao regions challenged the traditional dominance of Luzon and Visayas powerhouses.
Elementary Athletes Lead the Charge
Davao's elementary athletes fueled the region's rise, contributing 21 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and eight bronzes. The secondary division added 13 golds, 21 silvers, and 28 bronzes.
For much of the week, Davao hovered between 10th and 12th place in the medal race before a late surge on Saturday transformed the standings. Gold medals began pouring in from multiple sports, allowing the Eagles to leapfrog several regions and secure a podium finish.
The biggest boost came from dancesport, where the elementary team delivered a stunning 12-gold haul.
Dancesport Dominance
Josef Marco Costoy and Luane Grace Cuamag of New Corella Central Elementary School in Davao del Norte swept six Latin events, capturing gold in Grade A Latin American, cha-cha, jive, paso doble, rumba, and samba.
Not to be outdone, Davao City's Yanie Mae Chan and Eliju Joseph Darvin of F. Bustamante Central Elementary School dominated the standard division, winning six gold medals in modern standard Grade A, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, Viennese waltz, and slow waltz.
Other Gold Medalists
Davao also celebrated championship runs from its elementary boys' football and boys' basketball teams, whose victories added crucial points to the region's medal drive.
Among the elementary gold medalists were discus throw champion Alimar Tero of Davao Oriental, gymnast Eddie Mar Dagooc of Tagum City, gymnast Flexie Kate Ibarra of Davao de Oro, swimmer Romarito Maquiling II of Davao Oriental, table tennis doubles champions Ethan Lames and Ashyr Ethan Sarabia of Davao del Sur, taekwondo gold medalist Sarah Jane Osmeña of Davao del Norte, and tennis doubles champions Francis Jayvee Dimzon and Ssemiah Jay Paspie.
The secondary division also produced champions across several sports.
Christy Mel Rose Siva of Davao Occidental struck gold in the girls' 400-meter hurdles, while Lys Jane Timbal of Davao de Oro won the 2,000-meter walk. Digos City boxers Emman Jay Moreno and Elvin John Miagao topped their respective weight classes. Hadassah Ria Literatus of Davao City ruled the chess blitz event, while Jenelyn Presquito, Maria Rica Remotigue, and Abby Claire Turba delivered three gold medals in pencak silat.
Other champions included taekwondo standout Carmen Estefan Marianito of Mati City, tennis singles winner Stephen Fuertes of Digos City, wrestler Bryan John Jusayan of Tagum City, arnis champion Ariane Kaye Parami of Davao City, and wushu gold medalist Frenchester Aracena.
Looking Ahead
As the celebration begins, Farnazo said the region will soon shift its focus to evaluation and preparation for future competitions.
"We need to celebrate this performance," he said. "But we also need to go back to the drawing board, analyze what went right and what went wrong, and determine what areas we need to improve."
For now, however, the Davao Eagles leave Agusan del Sur with a podium finish, a renewed sense of pride, and the distinction of once again emerging as the highest-finishing delegation from the Visayas and Mindanao.
