It is a glorious time to be a sports enthusiast in the Philippines as our Filipino athletes, both young and adult, have recently dominated several international sporting competitions — a welcome testament to the caliber of talents that our country is housing.
As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and an avid sports fan, it fills me with pride to witness our national athletes flourishing in their respective fields.
Last week, I took the opportunity to co-sponsor several Senate resolutions recognizing and congratulating some of our decorated athletes, including five-year-old Jiu-Jitsu champion Aleia Aguilar, eight-year-old chess prodigy Bince Rafael Operiano, bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno, and the ever-dominant Powerlifting Association of the Philippines.
Aleia became the Philippines’ youngest world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after conquering the Kids 1 under 16 kg event at the 2022 Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship while Bince emerged as champion at the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.
On the other hand, Nepomuceno added another medal to his long list of accomplishments after winning gold at the 16th Asian Senior Bowling Championships in Petaling Jaya City, Malaysia while the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines raked up a total of 78 medals — 44 gold, 17 silver, and 17 bronze — at the 2022 Southeast Asian Cup in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Though markedly different in age, gender, experience, and field of sports, these athletes have at least one thing in common: They have all brought immeasurable honor to our country through their excellent talent, discipline, and perseverance.
In fact, their triumphs not only bring glory to the country but also demonstrate that Filipinos have the potential to become globally competitive in any field of sport. That is why I have been persistently pushing for increased support for our country’s sports program.
In this view, I introduced Senate Bill 423 or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, which seeks to ensure a more inclusive system of promoting promising Filipino athletes who possess potential in various fields of sports to be given an equal opportunity of becoming future contenders in international sporting competitions and cement the country’s status as a “Sports Powerhouse in Asia” again.
Among others, I envision the Philippine National Games to serve as the government’s premier national sports competition to be held once every two years.
Earlier, our aspiration to provide a dedicated academy for promising young athletes had been fulfilled with the enactment of Republic Act 11470 in 2020, establishing the National Academy of Sports System and Main Campus.
The NAS offers a secondary education program with an integrated special curriculum on sports which was developed in close coordination with the Department of Education and the Philippine Sports Commission. The academy is equipped with world-class sports facilities, housing, and other amenities on par with international standards.
Moving forward, one of the major sporting events we are preparing for is the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Next year’s tournament is even more significant as our country will co-host it with Japan and Indonesia. In relation to this, I have also co-authored a proposed measure granting Filipino citizenship to Justin Brownlee to tap him as a naturalized player for our Philippine men’s basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas.
I hold Brownlee in high esteem, and I am confident that Gilas Pilipinas will benefit greatly from having him on the team when they compete in the FIBA games next year.
I am looking forward to more exciting sporting events in store for us in 2023. It would not even be a long wait as time seems to pass by more quickly these days. In fact, we are just a few nights of sleep away from Christmas. Let me take advantage then of the opportunity to greet all of you an early Merry Christmas!
To spread the holiday cheer, I have also continued our relief operations across the country for more of our struggling Filipinos. Last 28 November, I personally joined the Bulgar Medical Mission together with my colleague, Senator Imee Marcos, where we distributed assistance to 175 indigent patients.
With Senators Marcos, Bato de la Rosa, and Francis Tolentino, I then proceeded to Caloocan City to spearhead two separate distributions for 960 barangay workers and 247 indigents.
The following day, I was also joined by Senators De la Rosa and Marcos in Cebu for a relief operation benefiting 669 fire victims in Mandaue City. Senator De la Rosa was also with me during the separate distributions for 272 more fire-hit families and 2,000 market vendors in Cebu City.
Meanwhile, on 1 December, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Super Health Center in Biñan City, Laguna before personally assisting 1,000 struggling residents in the city. The next day, I likewise witnessed the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center at the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, and distributed assistance to 60 tour guides and 300 habal-habal drivers on the island.
Finally, this Sunday, 4 December, I was in Indang, Cavite as a guest speaker for the Southern Tagalog Regional Association of State Universities and Colleges Olympics 2022. I distributed balls for soccer, basketball, and volleyball to several students and once again encouraged our youth to get into sports and stay away from illegal drugs.
Simultaneously, my outreach teams have been mounting various relief operations last week that benefitted 2,764 in Tarangnan, Samar; 1,000 in Gutalac, Zamboanga del Norte; 870 in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan; 700 in various towns in Davao Oriental; 500 in Tinio, Nueva Ecija; 499 in Loon, Bohol; 400 in Mandaue City, Cebu; 306 in Pugo and 200 more in San Fernando City, La Union; 1,000 in Malalag, Davao del Sur; 1,000 in Balete, Batangas; 300 in several towns in Pangasinan; and 736 more in Botolan, Zambales.
We have also delivered educational assistance to 500 students in Catanduanes and relief items to 540 earthquake victims in Tineg, Abra.
Despite the challenges, we are facing, and the humbling experience this pandemic has brought upon each of us, I hope we can all continue to strive harder and soar to greater heights, following the example of all our successful national athletes. May our sacrifice and commitment truly serve as an inspiration for one another.