CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Education announced Friday that the National Academy for Sports and Philippine schools from overseas will be joining the Palarong Pambansa 2024, adding two new official delegations to the event.

Adolf Aguilar, Assistant Superintendent for the Cebu City Division, said in a press conference that with these additions, the total number of participating delegations will rise to 19.

Originally, only the 17 regions of the country were competing, with the exception of the newly formed Negros Island Region, whose provinces will still represent Central Visayas and Western Visayas.

When questioned about the impact of these new delegations on the competition's medal standings, Aguilar assured that it would be minimal. "The National Academy for Sports will only be participating in selected events. So, it will have a limited effect," he said, though he did not specify which events.

The National Academy for Sports is a state-funded school in Tarlac City where student-athletes focus intensively on sports.

Additionally, Filipino-accredited schools in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, part of the Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs), have formed teams to compete in individual and team events at this year's Palarong Pambansa.

Aguilar also announced that Dance Sports will now be included as a regular sport in the Palarong Pambansa, meaning winners will be officially tallied and awarded medals.

Moreover, all games will be streamed online, with 60 monitors installed at the old badminton court at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) capturing the events.

When asked whether the scores will be transmuted manually or digitally, Aguilar said that the medal tallying system will remain consistent with that used during the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association last May.

"The medal tally will still be by region. You will see how many golds Region 7, Region 8, etc., have. But if you click the details, you can find information on the athlete winning the gold, including their school, division, and city," he explained.

Aguilar added that this year's event will feature a special tally by towns and cities, highlighting the names of the athletes, unlike previous years where only the number of golds per region was emphasized.

"For Cebu Palaro, we want to recognize the athlete and the school behind each medal," Aguilar said, noting that they will rank the five divisions that produce the most gold medals.

In another first for the Palarong Pambansa, an overall champion per sport will be declared, with numerous trophies and awards available for each delegation. "There will be many trophies and awards for each delegation this time around," Aguilar said in Cebuano.

The Palarong Pambansa, a major annual sporting event in the Philippines, brings together student-athletes to compete in various disciplines. This year's games will be hosted by Cebu City for the first time in 30 years.

The event will take place from July 6 to July 17, with the opening ceremony scheduled for July 9 at CCSC.