17/04/2026
There’s a serious effort to lump the Palarong Pambansa, Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games into one big sportsfest.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Department of Education (DepEd) are aligning the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy to create a seamless grassroots-to-elite pathway, aiming for a unified, non-overlapping structure by 2026. “Hindi po siya iu-unify, liwanagin ko lang po, hindi siya iu-unify. Isi-streamline po natin, iha-harmonize po natin para 'yung age group malawak,” said Gregorio during the presentation of the AYG medalists.
Commissioner Jolly Gomez of the Philippine Sports Commission said the sports agency and the Philippine Olympic Committee will soon meet with top officials of the Department of Education to consolidate the country’s grassroots development programs.
Key Planning Aspects for Grassroots Merging:
Age Bracket Restructuring: PSC Chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio proposes organizing age groups to eliminate overlap, with a goal of setting Batang Pinoy for younger participants (approx. 8–15 years old) and the Palarong Pambansa for older student-athletes (approx. 16–21 years old).
Strategic Collaboration: The, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Department of Education (DepEd) are coordinating to ensure the two major competitions, which previously functioned independently, work together to feed the National Youth Training Pool.
Operational Shifts: The PSC will handle technical sports logistics, utilizing National Sports Associations (NSAs) to run events, while DepEd focuses on the administration and regional networks.
