Palaro 2025 sees outpour of new records, personal achievements in athletics 

Young athletes in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa clinch gold medals and shatter records long untouched for several years

ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – Emotions are running high in the ongoing 2025 Palarong Pambansa as several student-athletes finally claim their long-awaited gold medals – many in record-breaking fashion. 

Central Luzon’s Alfred Talplacido, meanwhile, shattered a record that had been set over a decade ago. He completed the secondary boys’ 400m in 48.10 seconds, surpassing the previous best time established by NCR’s Jomar Udtohan in 2014.

Talplacido told Rappler that he was not expecting to set a new record as he had just come from a three-month recovery period from a hamstring injury that put a pause on his training sessions.

Still, Talplacido and his coach pushed hard to make it work so he could cap off his final Palaro playing year on a high note.

When he hangs up his gear, Talplacido hopes to make the most out of his athletic prowess.

“Magpatuloy pa rin po kasi nasimulan ko na po (To continue this because I already started),” Talplacido answered when Rappler asked about his future plans. 

The 2025 Palarong Pambansa also saw two standouts break records set 27 years ago.

Cris Ivan Domingo of NCR dominated the elementary boys’ 400m, finishing at 54.29 seconds to erase previous record-holder Sajipa Bassal of Western Mindanao’s time of 54.30 in 1998. 

Domingo also clinched the gold medal in the elementary boys’ 200m with a time of 24.63 seconds.

Meanwhile, in the secondary boys’ 5,000-meter, Central Visayas’ Jhul Ian Cañalita brought home the gold medal and broke a longstanding Palaro mark set by Southern Mindanao’s Cresencio Cabal when he finished the race in just 15 minutes and 16.31 seconds. Cabal’s record set in 1998 was 15 minutes and 38.4 seconds. 

However, Cagayan Valley’s Elmer Dizon and Western Visayas’ Welmer Jeck Labrador also beat Cabal’s record time. Dizon finished in 15 minutes and 22.91 seconds, while Labrador finished in 15 minutes and 25 seconds — the two ultimately settling for silver and bronze, respectively. 

Cañalita is proving to be on a roll, as he also reset the secondary boys’ 3,000-m steeplechase record, finishing in 9 minutes and 23.89 seconds, a big leap from existing record of Jerry Vasquez of Central Luzon’s time of 9 minutes and 35.2 seconds. 

Calabarzon’s Jerico Cadag also surpassed Vasquez’s record by finishing in 9 minutes and 33.30 seconds to settle for silver. 

In the shot put event, Calabarzon’s Sam Garcia excelled by setting a new record of 12.48m — nearly two meters more than the best 10.93m distance held by Southern Mindanao’s Canny Amor Bartolome since 1996. 

NCR’s Sep Placido, meanwhile, presented a stellar showing in the secondary girls’ 2,000m walk, with a time of 10 minutes and 15.15 seconds. She broke the record of Laurize Jeanne Wangkay, who clocked in at 10 minutes and 44.44 seconds in 2018.

Western Visayas’ Trixia Anne Arellano then reset the record in the elementary girls’ 200m, posting a time of 26.40 seconds. The record for this division was previously held by NCR’s Maureen Emily Echrijvers, whose 26.7-second mark went undisputed for 17 years.

Also from Western Visayas, 17-year-old Mico Villaran broke a 15-year record in the secondary boys’ 110m hurdles.

Double dreams achieved

Beyond historic record-breaking feats, though, the athletics tilt of the 2025 Palaro also proved to be a platform for young athletes to realize their dreams and advocate for their families.

Take Davao del Sur’s Mechelle Gonato for example. Gonato finally bagged her first gold medal on her third try for the secondary girls’ triple jump event, recording 11.58 meters.

The incoming Grade 12 student at Hagonoy National High School said that her win came as a surprise. 

“Ang dami ko pong pinaghirapan na training tapos nakuha ko po ‘yung gold. ‘Yung iniiyakan ko na event, hindi ko akalain na abutin ko,” Gonato said. 

(I went through a lot of hard training, and I got the gold. The event I was crying about, I didn’t expect to achieve it.)

Gonato said she had initially played in the high jump category in the Palaro 2023, but switched to the triple jump category in the Palaro 2024 when she ranked 6th with a record of 10.78 meters. 

Gonato further shared that she planned to use her incentives to shoulder the expenses for her ailing mother’s surgery. 

The 2025 Palarong Pambansa will continue until May 31. – Rappler.com