DAVAO CITY — Student-athletes will soon be representing their respective home provinces when they compete in the 2026 Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said they will connive with the Department of Education in implementing the “hometown” rule in the Palarong Pambansa to encourage student-athletes to bring honor to their respective hometowns.

Tagged as the biggest grassroots sports event in the country, the Palarong Pambansa brings together the best and the brightest athletes from all 18 regions, including the delegates from the National Academy of Sports and the Philippine Schools Overseas.

The student-athletes, however, are representing the provinces where their schools are located — not where they were born.

Gregorio said this practice is about to change, starting with the members of the national team.

“The ‘hometown’ rule means that athletes are only allowed to play for their hometown or original place of birth when they see action to represent their teams,” said Gregorio, who was here to grace the 2026 Pilipinas Sambo Federation Incorporated National Open Championships at the Sta. Ana National High gym.

He further added that this new policy will immediately take effect on national players who have transferred to other cities to undergo further training.

“This will finally grant them the right to represent their city or province in the Palarong Pambansa. The national pool players will compete in the Palarong Pambansa to sharpen their skills and challenge others to do better.”

The PSC chief also announced that they will add strength and conditioning facilities in the Davao region, allowing student-athletes at the Sta. Ana National Elementary, National High and Central to benefit in preparation for major tournament ahead.

He also lauded the efforts of the Pilipinas Sambo, which had its Referees and Coaches Technical Seminar that drew interests from around 200 participants from all over the country.