You are correct; Here's my (current) version of the attrs section from gles1-kd-gears.c:

struct {
    EGLint surface_type[2];
    EGLint renderable_type[2];
    EGLint depth_size[2];
    EGLint level[2];
    EGLint transparent_type[2];
    EGLint red_size[2];
    EGLint green_size[2];
    EGLint blue_size[2];
    EGLint alpha_size[2];
    EGLint sample_buffers[2];
    EGLint samples[2];
    EGLint config_id[2];
    EGLint none;
} egl_conf_attr = {
    .surface_type = { EGL_SURFACE_TYPE, EGL_WINDOW_BIT },
    .renderable_type = { EGL_RENDERABLE_TYPE, EGL_OPENVG_BIT },
    .depth_size = { EGL_DEPTH_SIZE, 0 },
    .level = { EGL_LEVEL, 0 },
    .transparent_type = { EGL_TRANSPARENT_TYPE, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .red_size = { EGL_RED_SIZE, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .green_size = { EGL_GREEN_SIZE, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .blue_size = { EGL_BLUE_SIZE, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .alpha_size = { EGL_ALPHA_SIZE, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .sample_buffers = { EGL_SAMPLE_BUFFERS, 0 },
    .samples = { EGL_SAMPLES, 0 },
    .config_id = { EGL_CONFIG_ID, EGL_DONT_CARE },
    .none = EGL_NONE
};

That works (I find a config in eglChooseConfigs()).

However, with that configuration, eglCreateContext() returns EGL_NO_CONTEXT, and eglGetError() returns EGL_BAD_CONFIG.

So, while eglChooseConfig() found a config, eglCreateContext() cannot use it?

as an aside, here's what I get now when I use the verbose flag to the gles1-kd-gears sample app:

EGL_VENDOR = QNX Software Systems
EGL_VERSION = 1.4
EGL_CLIENT_APIS = OpenGL_ES OpenVG 
EGL_EXTENSIONS = EGL_KHR_lock_surface EGL_QNX_gf_surface EGL_QNX_swap_interval

EGL_CONFIG_ID = 2
EGL_RED_SIZE = 8
EGL_GREEN_SIZE = 8
EGL_BLUE_SIZE = 8
EGL_ALPHA_SIZE = 8
EGL_DEPTH_SIZE = 0
EGL_LEVEL = 0
EGL_NATIVE_RENDERABLE = EGL_FALSE
EGL_NATIVE_VISUAL_TYPE = 5152
EGL_RENDERABLE_TYPE = 0x0002
EGL_SURFACE_TYPE = 0x0487
EGL_TRANSPARENT_TYPE = EGL_NONE

I'm assuming that EGL_NATIVE_REDNERABLE being false is the issue here.  So... does this imply that I cannot use EGL with
 an OPENVG config? From looking through my sysres output, it would appear that every config with the EGL_OPENVG_BIT 
renderable type has native_renderable as "no".