Twelve schools divisions will participate in the Negros Island Region Athletic Association Meet scheduled from March 1 to 7 at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.
The Department of Education said the participating divisions include Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and the city divisions of Bacolod, Bais, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Kabankalan, Silay, and Tanjay.
The week-long regional meet will feature 45 secondary-level events, 28 elementary events, and four Para Games events.
The NIRAA Meet will include competitions in athletics, weightlifting, football, futsal, and dance sports, with pickleball and cheerleading included as demonstration sports.
The event carries the theme “Negros Island Region: Stronger, Faster Together.”
This year’s NIRAA Meet marks the first regional athletic competition under the reestablished Negros Island Region following the signing of Republic Act 12000 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June 2024.
Officials said the meet signifies the formal return of a unified regional sports competition after several years, providing student-athletes across the Negros Island Region a platform to compete at the regional level.
The last NIRAA Meet was held in 2017 in Dumaguete City before the region was dissolved.
Meanwhile, Mayor Greg Gasataya said Bacolod City is making history as host of the first NIRAA Meet following the reestablishment of the Negros Island Region.
Gasataya said the city is providing all 902 Bacolod delegates with training and competition uniforms, new athletic shoes, and a P300 daily allowance during their 30-day intensive training.
He said Bacolod City will also advance directly to the regional meet under the Negros Island Region, bypassing the provincial meet, as part of the city’s strengthened sports program.
Gasataya said the event is expected to highlight athletic excellence, boost sports tourism, energize the local economy, and position Bacolod City as a regional sports hub.*
[sibwp_form id=1]