Davao Eagles secure 6th position amidst ongoing medal pursuit at the 2025 National Games
The Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Eagles have impressively secured third place in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa's unofficial and partial overall medal tally as of May 29. The Eagles have accumulated an impressive haul of 35 gold, 20 silver, and 33 bronze medals [1].
A significant contributor to the team's success was the athletics division, which garnered three gold medals from standout athletes. Marco Antonio Arela of Santo Tomas National High School (STNHS) in Davao del Norte won the secondary boys' 2,000-meter walkathon, while Hannah Ashlei Regaya of the same school clinched the secondary girls' shot put title. Mechelle Ann Gonato from Hagonoy National High School in Davao del Sur dominated the secondary girls' triple jump [2].
Athletics also produced two silver medalists, one of whom was Charmel Semejon of Federico Yap National High School in Davao del Sur, who excelled in the secondary girls' javelin throw, and Emmanuel Wenceslao of Lawa Central Elementary School in Davao Occidental, who displayed a strong performance in the elementary boys' triple jump. Meanwhile, Jhonny Rebron Tabale of A. Mabini Elementary School in Davao City earned a bronze in the elementary boys' 100-meter dash [2].
Another powerhouse for the Davao Eagles was taekwondo, which added two gold medals to the tally through Elaiza Jane Irog-irog of Tagum City and Carmen Estefan Marianito of Mati City [2]. The team also brought in a silver and three bronzes.
The chess, table tennis, and billiards contingents each added a gold to the Davao Eagles' tally. In chess, Hannah Segara of Buhisan Elementary School in Davao City and Alexie Timkang of Davao Oriental teamed up to win the elementary girls' blitz team event, while Segara also bagged a silver in the individual category [2].
The table tennis and billiards teams also put up impressive performances, with the elementary boys' team from Davao City, Island Garden City of Samal, and the secondary boys' 8-ball singles competitor from Panabo City earning gold medals [2].
The Davao Eagles' silver medal haul included notable performances in swimming, arnis, and gymnastics, among others. Their secondary boys synchronized arnis lika anyo team comprising John Tyrone Anajao, Aethan Razy Fujita, and Arzyan Fujita also took second place [2].
The Davao Region Athletic Association experienced a remarkable improvement in this year's Palarong Pambansa compared to their fourth-place finish in 2024 [4]. Department of Education (DepEd) Davao Regional Director Allan Farnazo had stated, "Our target was third because we were fourth last year. If we're going to set a target, there's no way but up" [4].
With several events still unfolding, the Davao Eagles remain hopeful about surpassing their 2024 feat and potentially challenging for the second spot [4].
Sports in Davao have played a significant role in the region's education system, as evident in the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Eagles' impressive third-place finish in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa. In particular, sports like athletics, taekwondo, chess, table tennis, and billiards have contributed to this success, with athletes from various schools across Davao competing and winning medals in various events.
