Balbalan now ready for Kalinga Prov’l Meet after culmination of municipal meet, awarding 138 medals to best athletes

SPORTS

BALBALAN, Kalinga — Riding on the momentum of a third-place finish and 198-medal haul in the 2026 Kalinga Provincial Athletic Meet, Balbalan is again gearing up for the province’s next major sports competition after its athletes dominated the recently concluded municipal meet.

The municipality awarded 138 medals to its top-performing athletes during the 2026 Balbalan Municipal Meet on September 5-6, with winners earning the opportunity to represent their municipality in the upcoming provincial competition.

Balbalan’s strong provincial showing earlier this year provides added motivation for its young athletes. During the 2026 Kalinga Provincial Athletic Meet held in Pinukpuk from January 14 to 17, Balbalan finished third overall, collecting 198 medals—58 gold, 76 silver and 64 bronze. It also recorded the second-highest total medal haul among the participating municipalities.

Zone 3 leads municipal meet

The two-day municipal competition brought together athletes from across Balbalan, divided into four zones.

Zone 1 consisted of Gawa-an, Poblacion and Balantoy; Zone 2 included Balbalasang, Pantikian and Talalang; Zone 3 covered Ab-abaan, Poswoy, Dao-angan, Maling and Balbalan Proper; while Zone 4 was composed of Mabaca, Buaya and Tawang.

Zone 3 emerged as the overall champion after collecting 64 medals—28 gold, 27 silver and nine bronze.

Zone 1 placed second with 39 medals—14 gold, seven silver and 18 bronze—while Zone 2 finished third with 24 medals—two gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze.

Zone 4 placed fourth with 11 medals, composed of two gold, three silver and six bronze.

From municipal winners to provincial contenders

With the municipal meet now completed, DepEd Balbalan and the Municipal Government of Balbalan are preparing the newly selected athletes for the provincial stage.

The athletes will carry the municipality’s strong 2026 provincial record as they seek to improve on Balbalan’s third-place finish and challenge the province’s top-performing delegations.

During the previous provincial meet, Balbalan was only three gold medals behind second-placer Rizal, highlighting how closely contested the race for the top spots was.

The municipality’s latest 138-medal municipal performance now gives its athletes another opportunity to sharpen their skills, build confidence and prepare for tougher competition at the provincial level.