CORDILLERA SPORTS LEADERS, ATHLETES WELCOME NEW PSC HEAD GREGORIO

July 5, 2025 Community Billboard

‘Athletes need gov’t- private support…not only when they win’

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio discusses his plans during the recent Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

Photo courtesy of PSC-FB

BAGUIO CITY

Sports leaders and athletes across the Cordillera region expressed optimism that sports development in the countryside will further improve with sportsman Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio as the country’s new sports chief—Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). In random interviews, they admired Gregorio’s belief that a strong sports program leads to a better economy for the country. They acknowledged Gregorio’s position that non-Olympic sports should also get the same attention and support from the government, and hailed Gregorio’s plan to make PSC accessible to the countryside. This came after the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

In the PSA Forum, Gregorio told sports writers his immediate tasks to include — improvement of local sports facilities, getting Filipino people more active in sports, creating a National Championship for each of the NSAs, and digitalization of athletes’ profiles. “Yes, very important ‘yung medalya. Pero very important rin po na ‘yung 110 million Filipinos healthy. And mandato rin ng Philippine Sports Commission ‘yun sa pakikipagtulungan with the LGUs, with DILG, with Pagcor, and with the state universities and colleges,” Gregorio said. “Let us leverage sports as part of economic development. Ang isang matagumpay na bayan ay isang may matagumpay na sports program,” he said, stressing there must be proper support from the various National Sporting Associations (NSAs). PSC’s grassroots competition—the 2025 edition of the Batang Pinoy—is set in General Santos City this October. Cordillerans also recognized Gregorio, former PBA Chairman, for his statement: “Let us continue to enable and inspire our national athletes, but before we tell our athletes na laban para sa bayan, inaalagaan ba natin sila?”

“Sabi ko nga po, when you say laban para sa Pilipinas, laban para sa bayan, ang atleta po, bago lumaban para sa bayan, ang unang iniisip niyan ay ‘yung kapakanan niya siya bilang atleta at siya bilang Pilipino. Pangalawa, pamilya niya. Pangatlo, laban para sa bayan. So before we even tell our athletes na laban para sa bayan, inaalagaan naman po natin siya at ang pamilya niya para lumaban siya ng matibay para sa bayan.” Gregorio’s other plans include the establishment of a sports foundation that is similar to the Philippine Disaster Resilience
Foundation (PDRF) which is composed of private sectors that prioritize providing help. By doing so, it can give athletes a framework of how they can receive assistance not only when they eventually win, but also during their preparations and even as early as their grassroots years. “Dyan papasok yung support ng private sectors,” said Gregorio. “Andyan yung suporta, so it is our role to develop this framework. Marami pong nagte-text sa akin na paano kami makakatulong, so kami po sa PSC, i-plot natin. Let’s not make it difficult for them.” “Believer ako ng sports tourism. The biggest events in the world are sporting events. It’s not cheap, so ang isang importante eh alignment. We must plot it well, and if we allocate funds the right way, then we can encourage NSAs to host,” Gregorio pointed.