by Gino Pagal

  Western Visayas athletes laid aside their running shoes and grabbed their gardening gloves to plant fruit-bearing trees as a symbolic act of leadership and environmental stewardship.

     Nine-hundred-sixty-five delegates from the region participating in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa kicked off the country’s largest youth sporting event with a tree-planting activity at San Nicolas National High School (SNNHS) in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte on Saturday, May 24.

     The initiative, spearheaded by the Western Visayas delegation billeted at SNNHS, drew together athletes, coaches, and key education officials in a collective effort to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices.

     In a short program preceding the tree-planting, Cristito A. Eco, Assistant Regional Director and Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the Regional Director of Western Visayas, emphasized the urgency of environmental action in the face of intensifying climate conditions.

    “We can’t just watch climate change get worse while our athletes suffer from extreme heat. We need to act now,” said Eco.

    He added that athletes who engage in ecological efforts like tree-planting become more than competitors—they become champions of sustainability.

   “They learn that their strength can build something lasting – something that helps the next generation of athletes,” he remarked.

    Meanwhile, Atty. Donato Balderas, Jr., Schools Division Superintendent of Ilocos Norte,  commended the initiative as a model of youth leadership and community engagement.

    The activity aligns with the spirit of this year’s Palarong Pambansa theme: “Nagkakaisang Kapuluan”, a celebration of unity through sports, culture, and environmental stewardship.

    The multi-sports event officially opens today, May 24, and will run until June 2, gathering the best young athletes from across the nation.