CEBU CITY — Vice President and outgoing Education Secretary Sara Duterte, who skipped the opening ceremony of Palarong Pambansa on July 9, is expected to attend the event's closing ceremony on July 16.

The Department of Education (DepEd) expressed optimism following an ocular inspection conducted by Duterte's protocol officer at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) over the weekend.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas cited the importance of the ocular inspection during a press conference on Saturday, viewing it as a positive indicator of Duterte's possible attendance.

"As we all know, the vice president's protocol officer visited the site this morning for an inspection, and we are hopeful that Vice President-Secretary Sara will grace our closing ceremony," said Bringas, who is also the secretary general of this year's Palarong Pambansa.

In preparation for Duterte's anticipated presence, stringent security measures will be enforced during the closing ceremony, which will be led by the Vice Presidential Security Group.

"I am confident that they are already coordinating with the Philippine National Police of Cebu City to ensure security measures are in place and that there are no security risks during the event," Bringas added.

Also, Bringas disclosed that Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc will attend the closing ceremony, representing the host province for the Palarong Pambansa in 2025.

Meanwhile, Assistant Superintendent Adolf Aguilar of DepEd Cebu City, in a separate interview last Thursday with The Manila Times, affirmed Duterte's expected attendance, as scheduled in their program.

Duterte's absence from the opening ceremony, where she was initially anticipated based on earlier announcements, was due to her hospital visit to check on student-athletes under medical care, as confirmed by DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa.

Reports had earlier indicated that several student-athletes were hospitalized, with at least two cases of dengue confirmed at the Cebu City Medical Center.