• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Division of Bacolod City completed a dominant sweep to hoist the overall trophy as the first-ever champion of the inaugural Negros Island Region Athletic Association Meet 2026.
With a homecourt advantage, Bacolod maintained strong performances in the secondary category, and claimed 165 gold, 102 silver, and 102 bronze medals overall, to edge out its closest rivals for the highest honor.
“Carry on. Here goes our journey to the Palarong Pambansa 2026, and you can count on our 100 percent support as always,” Mayor Greg Gasataya said.
Negros Occidental secured the 1st runner-up spot overall after a powerful showing in the elementary and ParaGames categories, hauling a medal tally of 150 gold, 152 silver, and 102 bronze.
Negros Oriental rounded out the top tier as the 2nd runner-up in both the secondary and overall standings, with 33 gold, 39 silver, and 59 bronze.
The remaining participating local government units, in order of ranking, were Dumaguete City, Bayawan City, Kabankalan City, Silay City, Bais City, Guihulngan City, Siquijor, Tanjay City, and Canlaon City.
Qualifiers from NIRAAM will represent the Negros Island Region at the upcoming Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur, scheduled for May 24 to 31.
Beyond the medal tally, the meet recognized exemplary conduct through its Special Awards, where Dumaguete City was named the winner for Most Disciplined Delegation.*
