The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will kick off the 2026 PSC Indigenous Peoples (IP) Games with its Visayas leg, which will be hosted by Iloilo City on April 18-19, 2026. For the first time, the IP Games will feature participants from the Panay Island or Western Visayas region—Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and the Province of Guimaras.
The 2026 PSC IP Games – Iloilo City (Panay Island) will mark the resumption of the postponed 2025 IP Games – Visayas leg which was deferred due to Severe Tropical Storm Opong last September.
The Province of Aklan will be represented by IP groups of Ati and Akeanon Bukidnon, while the Ati and Iraynon Bukidnon groups will represent Antique. The Ati, Halawodnon Bukidnon, and Panay Bukidnon will represent Iloilo, while the Panay Bukidnon and Ati will represent Capiz. The Guimaras is another participating province that will be represented by their Ati group.
The PSC team, headed by Commissioner Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston, have met Mayor Raisa Treñas last year to personally express his gratitude for Iloilo City’s hosting of the Games and for the city’s active involvement and support in the sports sector.
“Usually, we only hold it at the provincial level with participating municipalities, but this time, it is the entire Panay Island, so the start of 2026 IP Games is really exciting”, said Commissioner Matthew Gaston, who oversees the agency’s IP Games program.
The participants will compete in lisik-lisik, kadang-kadang sa paya, kadang-kadang sa kawayan, mat weaving, pukol, fire making, bayo sa palay, trumpo, kasing palosebo, turtle race. The demonstration games to be showcased are pitiw, patintero, ukbo, turnilyo and piol, and pana.
The PSC, in partnership with the Iloilo City Sports Development Division, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Region VI and VII, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) of Western Visayas, Department of Education (Western Visayas), Iloilo City Health Office, Iloilo City Police Office, La Paz I Elementary School, and other partners, also met to discuss and finalize the preparations for the conduct of the said Sports-For-All Program in Panay Island.The project also had the help of the supportive private partners, Otsuka-Solar, Inc. (Pocari Sweat) and Unilab-Western Visayas, who will provide support through product giveaways.
The PSC has been organizing the IP Games since 2018 following the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s appeal for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the World. In 2024, the IP Games successfully completed its three legs in Ilocos Sur, Negros Occidental, and General Santos City.
Part of the program in each leg is the Indigenous Peoples Forum, a public discussion on the importance of IP communities and the need to promote local culture, including the indigenous games, particularly to the younger generation. Also included is the IP Photo Contest, which will showcase photo entries highlighting moments during the IP games as another way to promote the indigenous games.
