Bacolod City continues to lead the 2026 Negros Island Region Athletic Association Meet (NIRAAM) medal race, but Negros Occidental is steadily closing the gap as competitions intensify.
As of 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5, Bacolod remained on top of the overall standings with 123 gold, 72 silver, and 69 bronze medals for a total of 264.
Negros Occidental follows closely behind with 96 gold, 112 silver, and 75 bronze medals, bringing its total to 283 medals, the highest overall medal count so far in the regional games.
Dumaguete City ranks third with 20 gold, 32 silver, and 35 bronze medals, while Bayawan City placed fourth with 17 gold, 14 silver, and 15 bronze medals.
Negros Oriental rounded out the top five with 15 gold, 25 silver, and 41 bronze medals.
While Bacolod maintains the overall gold medal lead, Negros Occidental is dominating several key categories, particularly in the elementary division and the para games, helping the province narrow the margin.
In the elementary division, Negros Occidental leads with 47 gold, 54 silver, and 31 bronze medals for a total of 132 medals, edging Bacolod City which has 46 gold, 26 silver, and 24 bronze medals.
Kabankalan City, Dumaguete City, and Silay City follow in the elementary standings.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental also leads the para games medal tally with 33 gold, 21 silver, and eight bronze medals for a total of 62 medals.
Bacolod City ranks second in the para games with 17 gold, 14 silver, and seven bronze medals, while Silay City placed third with eight gold medals.
In the secondary division, Bacolod City continues to dominate with 77 gold, 46 silver, and 45 bronze medals, maintaining its strong overall performance in the regional meet.
Negros Occidental follows in second place in the secondary category with 49 gold medals, while Bayawan City placed third.
The 2026 NIRAA meet, which gathers student-athletes from divisions across the Negros Island Region, runs until Saturday, March 7, with more events expected to shape the final medal standings as the competition enters its final stretch.*
