No less than President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will send off members of the Paris Olympics-bound Team Philippines on Friday night, June 21, at the Marble Hall of the Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros.

Sports have been close to President Marcos' heart as he conveys his passion and enthusiasm for the Filipino athletes’ participation in the most important global sporting event that will happen during his administration.

Expected to join President Marcos in the ceremony managed by official Philippine Olympics broadcaster Cignal TV are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and members of the POC board, qualified Filipino athletes to the Paris Games and members of the Philippine Sports Commission Board led by chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann and national sports association officials.

Philippine Olympian Association head Gillian Akiko Thomson-Guevara will also grace the ceremony which is staged on the eve of the departure of several members of Team Philippines to their pre-Olympics training facility in Metz, France, where they will conduct their final preparations for the July 26 to August 11 Games Paris is hosting for the second time in a century.

A Holy Mass will usher in the ceremony which will be highlighted by the turnover of the country’s colors from the PSC to President Marcos and to Tolentino that will also be witnessed by Cignal TV and MediaQuest president and CEO Jane Basas and Cignal TV First Vice President and Head Channel Management and Programming Sienna Olaso.

Tolentino will also present to President Marcos the official training and competition apparel from Peak and adidas, while Team Philippines sponsors Cignal TV, Smart, adidas, Peak, celebrated designer Francis Libiran, Samsung, Aice, Delsey, Les Arenes Metz and Olympic Solidarity will be acknowledged.

Cignal TV will also present Team Philippines Paris Olympics song “Isang Daang Taong Laban Para Sa Bayan,” which is themed around the country’s 100 years of participation in the Olympics which, interestinglym, coincides with Paris hosting anew the quadrennial global sports conclave.