Bago City's Divine Pablito competes in the discus throw in the 2025 Batang Pinoy National Championships, October 26, 2025 at the Antonio Acharon Sports Complex in General Santos City. Handout/PSC
MANILA -- Braving inclement weather at the Antonio Acharon Sports Complex, Bago City's Divine Pablito captured the first gold medal of the 2025 Batang Pinoy National Championships by ruling the girls' discus throw, Sunday morning in General Santos City.
Improving on her eighth-place finish in the previous edition of Batang Pinoy, the 17-year-old Negrense threw 32.19 meters on her first attempt, beating Maasin City's Trisha Nalla (31.26m) and Tarlac's Gwenn Julia Salac (30.05m).
"In-expect kong makapasok ng magic eight, pero hindi number one," said the Grade 12 student of Ramon Torres National High School.
"Mahirap 'pag umuulan, madulas," she added.
Tarlac's Rich Justin Torres ruled the boys' shot put with a throw of 14.01 meters, while Bago City's Kharl Allen Ecija (13.58m) and Caloocan City's CJ Clark Lopez (13.25m) rounded out the podium finishers.
PSC Chairman John Patrick C. Gregorio personally led the flag-off of the criterium cycling event near the General Santos City Hall before meeting with members of the press at Lagao Gym.
Meanwhile, a total of nine swimming records were shattered on the opening day of the competition.
Local bet Christian Isaiah Lagnason broke two records previously held by Pasig's Arvin Naeem Taguinota II, setting new benchmarks in the boys' 12–13 200-meter individual medley (IM) and 100-meter freestyle events of the multi-sport meet sponsored by Yakult, MILO, Summit Drinking Water, Cynergy Artworks, and Pocari Sweat.
Lagnason reset the 200m IM mark by nearly three seconds, clocking 2:19.63 and erasing the previous standard of 2:22.02, while posting 57.26 seconds in the 100m freestyle—almost a full second faster than the old record of 57.92.
Meanwhile, Ashton Clyde Jose of the City of Santa Rosa reset the tournament record in the opening event, registering 2:15.12 in the boys' 16–17 IM.
All podium finishers in the boys' 14–15 100m freestyle eclipsed the previous record of 56.17 seconds, led by Mandaluyong's Kevin Bryle Chan, who topped the race in 55.39 seconds.
Negros Oriental's Dylan Edward Plaza (29.82s) and Pasig City's Roland Aaron Seprado (28.32s) also became new record holders in the boys' 12–13 and 14–15 age categories, respectively, in the 50m backstroke.
In the girls' division, Sophia Rose Garra of Malabon City clocked 30.71 seconds in the girls' 12–13 50m backstroke, with all medalists surpassing Nicola Diamante's old mark of 33.16.
Rhian Casey Casona of Mandaue City (31.92s) set a new record in the girls' 14–15 50m backstroke, while FJ Catherine Cruz of Mabalacat City narrowly established a new best in the girls' 16–17 50m backstroke with 31.23 seconds, just 0.06 seconds faster than the previous record.
Action continues across various venues on Monday, as more medals remain up for grabs in what is shaping up to be the biggest edition yet of the Batang Pinoy National Championships.