BACOLOD CITY TO WELCOME BATANG PINOY FOR 4TH TIME IN 2026
1 November 2025
BACOLOD City has been officially chosen to host the 2026 Batang Pinoy National Championships, marking the fourth time the city will welcome the country’s premier grassroots sports competition.
The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the 2025 edition held at the Antonio C. Acharon Sports Complex in General Santos City on Thursday night.
Bacolod previously hosted the games in 1999, 2001, and 2013, establishing itself as a key venue in the development of young Filipino athletes.
Mayor Greg Gasataya, in a video message, expressed his enthusiasm: “Batang Pinoy is one of the country’s largest grassroots sports programs, and we are excited to help nurture the next generation of young talents in 2026.”
During the ceremony, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairperson John Patrick Gregorio witnessed the symbolic turnover of the Batang Pinoy banner from General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao to Bacolod City Secretary to the Mayor, Jose Marty Go, who represented Mayor Gasataya.
Gregorio noted, “It is fitting for Bacolod to host Batang Pinoy again, given its role as a pioneer in this vital program for grassroots athletes.”
Next year’s edition, the 17th Batang Pinoy, will welcome athletes aged 17 and under, offering a wide range of competitions across 27 sports disciplines, including aquatics, athletics, basketball (3×3), boxing, chess, dance sport, futsal, gymnastics, martial arts such as judo, karate, muay, and taekwondo, and many others.
The 2025 Batang Pinoy saw the participation of 19,700 athletes representing 191 local government units nationwide, highlighting the scale and importance of the annual event in cultivating young sports talent across the Philippines.
