Duterte, Calabarzon dethrone Davao to capture 2026 Palaro basketball gold

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines – Ironically, a Duterte proved to be a thorn in the side of Davao Region as Calabarzon brought home the secondary boys’ basketball title of the 2026 Palarong Pambansa. 

Dairick Duterte won his battle against hometown star Rene Clert Baterbonia and powered the Heroes’ dethroning of the vaunted Eagles by way of a come-from-behind 79-62 win in the final before a stunned crowd at the EOC Evacuation Center in Prosperidad here on Saturday, May 30.

The big-bodied Duterte supplied a team-high 21 points as Calabarzon recovered from a lethargic start then held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by Davao to capture the Palaro secondary boys’ basketball crown for the first time since 2016.

Ali Mamauag and Rainheart Panaligan also shone with 18 and 17 points, respectively, taking turns in keeping Calabarzon afloat in the final period.

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Down by as many as 15 points, the Eagles clawed their way back and cut their deficit to a single possession at 56-59 off a Macky Peligrino three-pointer with over six minutes remaining, but Panaligan silenced the partisan Davao crowd with a trey of his own. 

Panaligan scored 4 more points in a personal 7-0 run that restored a double-digit lead for the Heroes before Mamauag hit a barrage of shots that took the fight out of Davao.

A pair of Matt Cayetano three-pointers kept Davao within striking distance at 62-68 with 2:50 minutes left, but Mamauag unloaded 7 straight points as part of a finishing 11-0 run that sealed the championship for the Calabarzon side represented by St. John’s Wort Integrated School in Antipolo City. 

Richmond San Diego added 7 points for Calabarzon, which refused to cower despite seeing Davao race to a blazing 12-0 start powered by Peligrino and Baterbonia.

“We’re never pressured because we prepared for this,” said Calabarzon coach Jasper Magno in Filipino. “We know our capabilities even though we’re not known by many.” 

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After firing blanks in their 76-66 win over National Capital Region in the semifinals the day prior, Peligrino put Davao on his back with a game-high 30 points, but his performance was not enough for Davao to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since NCR completed a three-peat from 2017 to 2019.

Baterbonia, a pride of the municipality Talacogon in this landlocked province, ended up as the only other Davao player in double-figure scoring with 10 points.

The Eagles, who were represented by Ateneo de Davao, missed the production of Aaron Joash Bayanban as he got limited to just 6 points after erupting for 19 points in the semifinals.

Earlier in the day, NCR claimed an 81-74 win over Central Luzon to salvage the bronze medal.

The Scores

Calabarzon 79 – Duterte 21, Mamauag 18, Panaligan 17, San Diego 7, Valencia 6, Gonzales 3, Lugue 3, Seño 2, Mayor 2

Davao Region 62 – Peligrino 30, Baterbonia 10, Cayetano 7, Bayanban 6, Luague 6, Estandarte 2, Damag 1

Quarters: 12-18, 38-33, 59-48, 79-62. 

 – Rappler.com