Some 10,000 athletes, officials and visitors are expected to troop to Leyte from the 17 regions of the Philippines, for the Palarong Pambansa 2009.

It will be held from April 26, to May 2, at the Leyte Sports Development Center in Tacloban City, Leyte. No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself will attend the opening ceremony.

All in all, there will be 15 sports events in elementary, while 17 in high school. Olympic sports like athletics, swimming, boxing, taekwondo, badminton, archery, gymnastics, table tennis and lawn tennis are also included.

To ensure the safety of facilities and equipment for the said event, a committee from Department of Education Central Office has formed a team that will conduct inspections at the main venue in Leyte next week.