SENATOR Christopher “Bong”’ Go praised all the participants and organizers of the recently held 2023 Palarong Pambansa as he pushed for another national games to boost the sports development at the grassroots level.

“So far, so good at naging maayos at mapayapa. Congratulations po sa NCR for being the overall champion. At sa lahat ng sumali na dumayo pa at naglakbay pa mula sa probinsya, congratulations po sa inyong lahat,” Go said.

Go is also pushing for the institutionalization of the Philippine National Games to strengthen grassroots sports development through his Senate Bill 423.

It aims to discover and nurture athletes who could excel in international sports competitions, bring pride and international goodwill to the country and address the longstanding challenges of Philippine sports in general.

The senator said that this might steer young people away from illegal drugs by encouraging them to participate in sports and other physically engaging activities.

“Ilayo natin ang kabataan sa droga. Get into sports, stay away from illegal drugs. Dagdag pa rito, talagang matuturuan mula pagkabata ang sportsmanship and camaraderie,” Go said.

Meanwhile, the senator also commended the Department of Education for the successful staging of the Palarong Pambansa and expressed his support for the agency’s mission to advocate sportsmanship among the youth.

“Congratulations po sa DepEd, headed by our Vice President and Secretary ng DepEd Sara Duterte sa matagumpay na pagdaraos po ng Palarong Pambansa,” he added.

NCR emerged as the overall champion in the recently concluded Palarong Pambansa, with a total of 85 gold, 74 silver, and 55 bronze medals. Western Visayas and CALABARZON regions also performed well, finishing second and third, respectively.