AGS swimmer Jacob Blanco wins 3 Golds, qualifies for Palarong Pambansa 2026

Representing Quezon City, Ateneo de Manila Grade School swimmer Jacob Blanco (6-Hurtado) delivered an outstanding performance at the DepEd-NCR Palaro Swim Meet, held on March 3–6 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Blanco qualified in six events, capturing three gold medals in the 400m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, and 200m Individual Medley, along with two silver medals in the 100m Backstroke and 50m Backstroke. He also won a bronze medal for the 4x100m Freestyle Relay together with swimmers from other Quezon City schools.  

With these strong finishes, Blanco earned a spot in the Palarong Pambansa, where he will represent the NCR in Agusan del Sur in the Caraga Region this May 24-31, 2026. 

Also representing Ateneo and Quezon City at the meet were fellow Blue Eagles David Dela Cruz (6-Xavier), Joaquin Plazo (6-Regis), Caleb Pablo (4-Dagohoy), and Juami Pamandanan (6-Bellarmine). The team was coached by Krystal De la Cruz.

The DepEd-NCR Palaro gathers the top student-athletes from public and private schools across the National Capital Region, serving as the regional qualifying competition for the Palarong Pambansa, the Philippines’ premier national sports event for student-athletes.