President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has vowed to provide better support for national athletes following the historic win of the Philippine women’s national football team, Filipinas, in the AFF Women’s Championship.
Marcos committed to step up government support for Filipino athletes during the team's courtesy call in Malacañang on Wednesday, July 20.
“We have to do better in terms of government support when it comes to our athletes. Medyo nabawasan nung nawala yung sports sa eskuwelahan (the support declined), when DECS (Department of Education, Culture and Sports) became Department of Education alone, the emphasis on sport became a little bit less,” the President said.
“But that is something that we really should encourage because sport means more than just playing games. It means developing discipline, learning how to sacrifice, learning to be gracious in victory, learning to work with other people as a team,” he added.
During the meeting, the Chief Executive reiterated his congratulatory message to the Filipinas, saying that the national team's win “is the greatest gift that you have given your country.”
"I know that you played your hearts out and you did that because you kept remembering that you are representing the Philippines. This is the first time that we have won this championship. It is the years and years of sacrifice that you put in, the amount of training," Marcos said.
“So I thank you very much, and I congratulate you for this great achievement and great championship," Marcos added.
Filipinas captured the AFF title after scoring 3-0 against Thailand in the championship on Sunday night, July 17. The victory marked the Philippines’ first international title in the football scene.
The team is also preparing for next year’s FIFA showcase to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
READ MORE: Marcos hails Filipinas for winning AFF women’s football championship