The Department of Education (DepEd) is all set for the country’s largest youth sporting event, the Palarong Pambansa, which starts Saturday and will run until April 17 in San Jose, Tarlac.

DepEd Secretary Mona D. Valisno said the department is continuously pursuing a well-rounded education for the youth that includes sports education.

Valisno stressed that sports is an integral part of the education of any individual, especially in basic education.

“The development of a healthy body cannot be separated from the development of a healthy mind,” she said.

Athletes from both private and public schools will be competing in the Palaro with this year’s theme, “Play for the Region, Win for the Nation.”

To qualify for the Palarong Pambansa, the athletes must have bested their opponents in the district or intra-town/city; division or inter-town/city; and regional level-competitions.

Held annually under the auspices of the DepEd, this year’s Palaro, which used to be dominated by the National Capital Region, is shaping up to be different, Valisno said, citing that Southern Tagalog is posing a major challenge against perennial champion, NCR.

“Besides Southern Tagalog, the Visayan regions are also expected to break records previously held by Luzon athletes,” she revealed.

Meanwhile, Feliciano N. Toledo, Palarong Pambansa secretary-general, said the Palaro will have seven major games, namely: Ball Games- baseball, basketball, football, sepak takraw, softball, and volleyball; Racket Games- badminton, table tennis, and tennis; combative sports - arnis, taekwondo, and boxing; Target Sports- archery; Board Games- chess; Gymnastics; and Measurable Sports including swimming.

Hosted by the Province of Tarlac, the games will be using as its main venue the Tarlac Recreational Park.

The other games such as basketball will be held at the Colo. Jesus Lapus Gym; archery at the Victoria National High School; arnis at Tarlac Christian College; boxing at Sunrise Badminton Center at Ma. Christina Park; chess at Aquino Center; gymnastics at the Hacienda Luisita Country Club; sepak takraw at Kalayaan Hall; softball at the grounds of Camp Gen. Servillano Aquino Parade; table tennis at Central Luzon Doctors Hospital; taekwando at the Diwa Tarlac; and volleyball at the San Sebastian Tennis and Don Bosco tennis courts.