AGUSAN DEL SUR — Embracing their underdog status, Region 4-A (Calabarzon) pulled off a commanding 79-62 victory over defending champion Region 11 (Davao Region) in the Palarong Pambansa secondary boys finals on Saturday at the Datu Lipus Makapandong-Governor Democrito O. Plaza Sports Complex.
Backed by a roaring hometown crowd, the Davao Eagles of Ateneo de Davao University entered the championship clash as overwhelming favorites. Across them stood the unlikely finalists from St. John’s Wort Integrated School of Calabarzon, a team that had quietly emerged as the tournament’s biggest surprise.
But one name quickly became impossible to ignore.
Seventeen-year-old Dairick Duterte of Angono, Rizal delivered a standout performance, pouring in 21 points to lead Calabarzon to the title. Each time his name echoed through the venue, the crowd—despite rallying behind Davao—responded with chants of “Duterte, Duterte,” reminiscent of supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Unfazed by the noise, Duterte remained locked in.
“We like it. My teammates and I like being the underdogs, and we like to silence the crowd,” he said in Filipino.
Duterte shared that his grandfather is a cousin of the former president, though he himself was raised in Rizal.
“My grandfather told me that he and Rodrigo are cousins. He’s from Davao, but he married someone from Rizal,” he added.
Duterte set the tone early, scoring 10 points in the first half before erupting for 11 more in the third quarter to keep Calabarzon in control.
Holding a 59-50 lead entering the fourth quarter, Calabarzon weathered a brief 6-0 run by Davao, sparked by Macky Pelegrino, that trimmed the deficit to three, 59-56. However, Calabarzon quickly regained momentum with a decisive 13-6 run, fueled by Patrick Panaligan, to put the game out of reach.
Head coach Jasper Magno, in his first stint at the Palarong Pambansa, deflected praise and credited his players’ grit and discipline.
“This is not about me. This is the hard work of my boys. I cannot describe how hardworking they are. You can see in the game how patient they are,” Magno said.
“We don’t have much—we trained on cement floors—but the team’s drive is there.”
From overlooked contenders to champions, Calabarzon proved that heart and resilience can overcome even the toughest odds.
Patricia Mae Santor of the National Capital Region (NCR) is the most bemedalled athlete with seven golds, sweeping all of her events in secondary girls’ swimming, while Charles Nathan Boneo of Calabarzon, who made his debut in Palarong Pambansa earned six medals.
Riley Alindogan of Bicol Region also topped the medal haul in the elementary girls’ division, racking up six medals.
Central Visayas’ Aziz Jayden Diaz went all out in gymnastics with a five-gold medal haul, while Central Luzon’s Eyeteen Joyce Santos and NCR’s Tchelzy Mei Maayo earned four gold medals.
As of writing, NCR is on the right track to earn its 19th consecutive overall championship title in Palarong Pambansa with a 74-60-59, gold-silver-bronze haul.
Calabarzon placed second with a 45-43-43 tally, while Region 6 (Western Visayas placed third, 29-32-32.
