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Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association (CLRAA)
The CLRAA is the regional school sports meet of the Department of Education (DepEd) Region III. Student athletes from the seven provinces and their component cities climb from cluster and division meets into the CLRAA, then on to the Pre National Qualifying Meet and the Palarong Pambansa. This guide covers what the meet is, how the qualifying ladder works, every edition from 2018 to 2026, the disciplines contested, the school divisions that take part, and the champions on record.
CLRAA stands for the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association, the body that runs the regional athletic meet for DepEd Region III. The meet gathers elementary and secondary learners from public and private schools who have advanced through their cluster, district, and division meets. The association also appears in some DepEd issuances as the Central Luzon Athletic Association. It is the regional rung of the national Palarong Pambansa ladder, so a strong showing here is the direct route to national competition.
The meet paused for more than three years during the pandemic and returned in 2023. Since then it has been held every year, hosted by a rotating province or schools division office, with the 2026 edition running in March 2026.
Qualifying ladder
How a student athlete reaches the CLRAA
Four rungs carry a learner from the school level to the national games. The CLRAA is the second step and the one that decides who wears the Central Luzon colors at the national meet.
1
Cluster and division meets
Schools and cities run their own meets first. Winners advance to the division level. These typically run in February, before the regional stage.
2
CLRAA regional meet
Qualifiers from every division in Region III meet in April, or in March in the 2026 cycle. This is the regional championship and the main selection event.
3
Pre National Qualifying Meet
A newer tier introduced for team sports. The country is split into four clusters and the top two from each cluster advance. Central Luzon sits in Cluster 1 with Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera.
4
Palarong Pambansa
The national games. The CLRAA delegation competes as the Central Luzon Patriots. In 2026 the national meet was hosted in Agusan del Sur.
Measurable sports such as athletics, swimming, and archery follow the Palarong Pambansa qualifying standards. The qualifying calendar is set each year by a DepEd memorandum, so always confirm the current dates with your school or division office.
Editions
CLRAA through the years
Hosts, dates, and scale change each cycle. The constants are the qualifying path and the parade of provinces and cities that carry the region to the national games.
2018Bulacan host. Held February 25 to March 2 at the Bulacan Sports Complex in Malolos, with the theme "Broadening Youth's Horizon through Sports Competition." Around 20 school divisions competed, and winners advanced to the Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
2019Zambales host. Held February 5 to 7. The Palarong Pambansa that year was in Davao.
2020 to 2022Paused. The meet was suspended for more than three years because of the pandemic.
2023Return edition. Held April 24 to 28 across multiple venues in the region, with 24 disciplines. Different schools divisions hosted different sports. The Palarong Pambansa moved to Marikina City.
2024Tarlac host, first time in 15 years. Opened April 28 at the Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Complex in San Jose, Tarlac, and ran April 29 to May 3 across 31 venues with 23 sports and 10,818 delegates.
2025Tarlac again. Held April 22 to 28 at the Jose V. Yap complex plus venues in Paniqui, Sta. Ignacia, and New Clark City, with 2,944 student athletes across 15 sports. SDO Olongapo City took the overall title.
2026March 2026 edition. DepEd Region III published a partial and official tally as of March 26, 2026. The Central Luzon Patriots then carried an 837 strong delegation to the Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur.
Disciplines
The sports contested at the CLRAA
The 2023 return edition listed 24 disciplines. The exact lineup shifts slightly by year and host, but these are the core events that student athletes train for.
Archery
Arnis
Athletics
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Basketball 3x3
Billiards
Boxing
Chess
Dancesport
Football
Futsal
Gymnastics
Paragames
Sepak Takraw
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Volleyball
Wrestling
Wushu
Team sports such as baseball, basketball, football, futsal, sepak takraw, softball, and volleyball pass through the Pre National Qualifying Meet before the Palarong Pambansa. Measurable events qualify on national standards.
Who competes
The school divisions of Region III
The meet draws from the Schools Division Office (SDO) of each of the seven provinces of Central Luzon and their component cities. These 20 divisions were the competing field in the 2018 cycle and remain the broad shape of the roster.
City of Angeles
City of Mabalacat
City of San Fernando
Province of Pampanga
City of Malolos
City of Meycauayan
City of San Jose Del Monte
Province of Bulacan
City of Balanga
Province of Bataan
City of Cabanatuan
City of Gapan
Science City of Munoz
City of San Jose
Province of Nueva Ecija
City of Tarlac
Province of Tarlac
City of Olongapo
Province of Zambales
Province of Aurora
Champions
Who has topped the medal table
Overall champions on record
Bulacan and Olongapo City have traded the overall title across recent cycles, with Bataan a consistent podium finisher.
1st Bulacan with 205 medals (70 gold, 81 silver, 54 bronze). 2nd Bataan with 137 medals, 3rd Olongapo City with 100.
2025
1st SDO Olongapo City with 75 gold, 45 silver, and 51 bronze. Best Saludo award went to SDO City of San Fernando.
Special awards are also given each year. In 2018 the Division of Cabanatuan won Most Disciplined, the Division of Bataan won Most Organized, and the Division of Pampanga won Cleanest, Greenest, and Eco friendly. Published counts of Bulacan's total overall titles differ between sources, one national report cites a 17th title in 2018 while the provincial government cites a 28th in 2019, so the results above are shown without the disputed ordinal.
Beyond the region
The Central Luzon Patriots
Region III competes at the national games as the Central Luzon Patriots, from a region often called the region of heroes. The 2026 delegation of 837 marched at the Palarong Pambansa opening in Agusan del Sur, a sign of how deep the talent pipeline runs.
Lydia De Vega
The Meycauayan sprinter known as Asia's fastest woman of the 1980s, discovered through the Palarong Pambansa while representing Central Luzon.
Victonara Galang
The Angeles City volleyball standout named Best Server at the 2011 Palarong Pambansa, who went on to a collegiate career in the UAAP.
Aljay Villena
The Science City of Munoz table tennis player who won a gold medal at the U.S. Open Table Tennis Championship in Ontario, California.
The CLRAA is also an event for the wider school community. Coaches, trainers, chaperons, officiating officials, and local governments all take part, which is why a host cycle can draw more than 10,000 delegates as it did in Tarlac in 2024.
Team kits and event printing
Order CLRAA style kits and event merchandise
PHSHIRT prints the kit a delegation, school, or booster club needs for a meet: sublimated jerseys, warm ups, cheer and dance uniforms, and the medals and trophies handed out at the closing ceremony. Send your sport, roster, sizes, and target date for a free quote with an official BIR invoice.
CLRAA stands for the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association. It is the body that runs the regional athletic meet for DepEd Region III in the Philippines. Some DepEd issuances also write it as the Central Luzon Athletic Association.
Who can compete in the CLRAA?
Elementary and secondary learners from public and private schools in Central Luzon who have advanced through their cluster, district, and division meets. The meet covers both elementary and secondary divisions, including junior and senior high school.
Where does the CLRAA lead?
Winners and qualifiers advance toward the Palarong Pambansa, the national games. Team sports first pass through the Pre National Qualifying Meet, where Central Luzon is grouped in Cluster 1 with Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera.
When is the CLRAA held?
Recent editions have run in late April, for example April 24 to 28 in 2023, April 29 to May 3 in 2024, and April 22 to 28 in 2025. The 2026 edition ran in March 2026. DepEd sets the exact dates each year, so confirm with your school or division office.
Which provinces and cities take part?
Delegations come from the schools divisions of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales, together with their component cities such as Angeles, Olongapo, Cabanatuan, Malolos, and San Jose Del Monte.
Can a school order CLRAA style team kits?
Yes. PHSHIRT prints sublimated jerseys, warm ups, cheer and dance uniforms, and PE and intramurals kits, and supplies custom medals and trophies for the podium. Message on Viber or WhatsApp with your sport, sizes, and deadline for a free quote with an official BIR invoice.
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