Tabuk City, Kalinga – After it was postponed in 2025 to give municipalities and the host town, Pinukpuk, sufficient time to recover and adjust to a series of unfortunate events in their areas, the Kalinga Provincial Meet has been rescheduled for January 14–17, 2026.
The Provincial Department of Education (DepEd-Kalinga) announced this during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo of the Provincial Government of Kalinga, headed by Governor James Edduba, held on Monday, January 5, at the new Kalinga Capitol Conference Hall.
“January 14 will be the opening program. From there, the different sports events will commence until January 17. The closing program will be held in the afternoon of January 17,” announced DepEd-Kalinga through Sports Program Focal Person Silverio Tawatao.
According to Tawatao, more than 3,000 delegates are expected to participate in the 2026 Provincial Athletic Meet. It is referred to as Phase II because the province already held its provincial meet earlier in January 2025. Changes in the school calendar resulted in the provincial sporting event being conducted in the last quarter of the year.
Based on data presented by Tawatao during the Kapehan meeting last year, Pinukpuk will field 513 delegates, Rizal 473, Balbalan 430, Tinglayan 364, Tanudan 351, Pasil 350, and Lubuagan 260. The honorary board, management, and technical officials will have a combined total of 350 participants.
Phase II of this year’s provincial meet will feature athletics, basketball, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, badminton, table tennis, sepak takraw, baseball, football, billiards, dance sports, archery, arnis, pencak silat, wushu, chess, and various combative sports, among others.
The competitions will be held in different playing venues in Pinukpuk, while some events, such as swimming, will take place in Dagupan and Tabuk City.
Regarding the selection of athletes who will represent the province in the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet, Tawatao clarified that participants will be chosen based on the deliberations of the Provincial Sports Council (PSC).
“After the provincial meet, the PSC shall deliberate on who will participate in the CARAA. Meaning to say, not all winners will qualify for CARAA. It will depend on the results of the deliberation and will be based on the standards set by the Palarong Pambansa, as well as the PSC’s monitoring of the athletes’ potential,” Tawatao said during the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo in December 2025.
Alongside the provincial meet, DepEd also announced that there will be an evaluation of playing venues and billeting schools, with recognition given to those with the cleanest, most eco-friendly, and most disciplined delegations and accommodations.
Governor Edduba requests excess funds be allocated to training CARAA players
Meanwhile, Governor James Edduba, who led the Kapehan meeting on January 5, requested that any excess funds from the procurement of provincial meet equipment in 2025 be allocated to the enhanced training of student-athletes who will represent the province in the upcoming CARAA to improve their performance and standing.
“Diay savings ket inayon koma para diay training dagiti athletes tayo para diay CARAA. I-supplement yo tapno umat-atidog diay training da,” Edduba said.
It was also assured during the meeting that the funds for the meals and snacks of the participants are sufficient.
It may be recalled that the Kalinga Provincial Meet, originally scheduled for November 2025, was postponed to December due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan. A week later, the host municipality experienced a series of armed encounters lasting five days, with at least six clashes between the CPP-NPA and the Philippine Army, prompting the event’s rescheduling to January 2026.
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