Duterte-led Calabarzon weathers Davao’s opening storm to pocket secondary men’s gold; NCR bounces back, routs R3 for bronze

Dairick Duterte defied all odds as he fueled the Calabarzon Heroes’ Cinderella run and left the court with a come-from-behind romp against reigning champions Davao Eagles to capture the elusive secondary men’s gold medal in their finals clash, while NCR Metro Stars survived a vicious Central Luzon Patriots squad to conclude their Palaro run with a bronze medal in their battle-for-third bout today at EOC Evacuation Center, May 30.

Showcasing an all-around Herculean performance, Duterte paved the Heroes’ way towards the golden throne with 21 points as they revolted back from a 19–1 Eagles spree to clinch the championship via a 79–62 comeback and emerge as Palaro gold medalists.

The win halted Region XI’s hopes for a back-to-back gold-medal finish, as Davao Region emerged as champions last year when they defeated Luke Rose and the Western Visayans in the 2025 edition of the Palaro finals.

Calabarzon also quenched its 10-year-old golden drought as the Heroes, bannered by the San Beda–Rizal Red Cubs, copped the 2016 Palaro gold medal when they defeated Central Luzon.

The Eagles stormed out with a strong start as Davao standout Macky Peligirino helped his squad spark a rapid 14–1 spree in the opening frame to gain the upper hand right from the get-go.

Region IV-A, represented by St. John’s Wort Integrated School, slowly proved steady as the match went on as Duterte and sharpshooter Ali Matthew Mamauag chipped down the deficit midway through the second quarter at 24–25 with 5:47 ticks remaining.

With full force, the brute-like Heroes then bulldozed through the Eagles at the right time as they snatched the lead as they orchestrated a 10–3 run en route to a 38–33 halftime.

The 6-foot Duterte then clashed with 2025 Finals MVP Rene Baterbonia inside the paint as he utilized his bulky stature to overpower the long-limbed Baterbonia and spark another 14–3 blast to propel towards a 57–42 cushion.

Davao Region did not go down that easily as they chipped their way back towards a 59–56 gap in the final canto thanks to an 8–0 blast from Peligrino’s explosive offense.

However, Calabarzon quickly turned the tides as Duterte locked down the usually paint-dominant Baternonia, while Rainheart Panaligan and Mamauag took their turns firing at all cylinders to explode with a 20–6 eruption, though Davao Region kept it close thanks to sniper Matt Cayetano’s efficient three-point shooting.

Region XI could not breathe life into their team anymore, as Calabarzon was simply too much for them, sealing their disheartening fate.

Duterte’s all-around masterclass did not go in vain, as he was named Finals MVP, while his teammates Panaligan and Mamauag hacked out 18 and 17 markers, respectively.

Peligrino paced the Eagles with a dominant 30-point performance, with Baterbonia being the only other player who breached a double-digit output with a limited 10-point showing.

NCR’s bronze finish v.s. Central Luzon

The NCR Metro Stars went the extra mile to prove their spot among the nation’s best as they outmaneuvered the Central Luzon Patriots via a 73–61 bronze-medal clincher to secure their spot at the podium.

NCR immediately went on a rampage as they bursted with a 19–4 blitz in the first quarter to quickly seize control of the match.

However, the Migz Lugtu-led Central Luzon fired back as they slowly chipped away the Metro Stars’ advantage to narrowly gain the razor-thin 42–41 lead.

Both squads then engaged in a neck-and-neck race, as neither crew could not surge ahead up until the payoff period.

The Big City bets then found their footing when it mattered the most as they pulled off a massive 17–5 run to close out the battle-for-third match with a bronze medal in their hands.

Region IV-A now stands at the top of the Palaro secondary men’s basketball hierarchy, while Davao Region and NCR settled for silver and bronze, respectively.

As the week-long Palaro basketball finally comes to an end, regions from around the country will now set their eyes on the 2027 edition of the annual meet to be held at Quezon City.