Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental — Pickleball in the Philippines is scaling rapidly, and Dumaguete City is positioning itself at the center of that growth.
In recent years, major pickleball tournaments in the country have promoted prize pools in the ₱700,000 range, already seen as massive within the local sports scene. Now, Dumaguete is raising the bar significantly with the announcement of the PlanOut Pickleball Open, scheduled for May 1-3, 2026, featuring a ₱1,000,000 total pooled prize.
Yes — ₱1,000,000. Not a Typo.
Organizers said the goal is not just to create a high-stakes competition, but to introduce a new standard for how local tournaments can be presented, managed, and experienced.
Beyond the competition, the event is part of Dumaguete’s broader effort to strengthen its presence in the national pickleball scene, supporting sports tourism and attracting visitors for multi-day stays.
A Different Kind of Tournament Rollout
PlanOut V2, a new event-technology platform, officially launches in Dumaguete on April 11, 2026. Organizers are merging the app debut with the tournament to create a unified national event.
Registration will bypass standard online forms. Instead, spots will be secured through a timed “Registration Drop,” mirroring the high-demand release style of major concert tours.
“When you put ₱1,000,000 on the line, you change how players plan, travel, and prepare. We wanted a system that could handle national demand fairly and transparently,”
- Kim Joseph Llena, CEO of PlanOut,
Two Ways to Register for the Million-Peso Pickleball Match:
| ON-GROUND REGISTRATIONApril 11, 2026 | 11:11AM**In Person Only | ONLINE REGISTRATIONApril 11, 2026 | 1:00PM***Nationwide General Release via PlanOut App |
The first set of guaranteed slots will be released exclusively to attendees physically present at the PlanOut V2 Launch in Dumaguete. To qualify, attendees must:Use the PlanOut event app onsiteCreate and verify their accountReceive a Presale Access Pass (QR/PIN)Unlock early registration rights before the public release. | Pre-Registration Now Open:Players and clubs can join the pre-registration list to receive official updates and Drop instructions: https://planout.typeform.com/pickleball-v2 |
Key Dates:
📍 February 1, 2026 — Pre-Registration period
📍 April 11, 2026 — PlanOut V2 Launch + Registration Drop
📍 May 1-3, 2026 — ₱1,000,000 PlanOut Pickleball Open Tournament Day
Who is PlanOut?
PlanOut V2 | Plan. Organize. Experience. is a mobile event-technology platform designed to streamline community and outdoor event operations for organizers, LGUs, schools, clubs, and sporting institutions nationwide. The system consolidates tools for payments, registration, check-in verification, category management, marshal coordination, and logistics control.
PlanOut is powered by LMF Capital, Inc., owned by Mr. Francis Lloyd Llena, a diversified business leader known for high-growth ventures in real estate development, retail, technology investment, and regional enterprise expansion. His corporate leadership supports PlanOut’s scale-up as a VisMin-proven, nationally focused technology brand.