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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider PSC chief puts emphasis on grassroots, sports tourism

PSC chief puts emphasis on grassroots, sports tourism

Published Oct 9, 2025 04:24 pm
PSC chairman Pato Gregorio (PSC)
PSC chairman Pato Gregorio (PSC)
Since taking over last July, Patrick “Pato” Gregorio has been deeply engaged in the challenging task of leading the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to greater heights.
Gregorio, joined by commissioner Edward Hayco, talked about the agency's projects Tuesday, Oct. 7, including the National Sports Tourism Program and the National Grassroots Program.
For grassroots development, the PSC aims to build a “christmas tree” structure with the sports arm at the top and the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) an important part.
There, the PSI will guide local and foreign coaches in all national sports associations (NSAs) and in return give them the platform to impart the knowledge down to the primary level.
“It has to start with the Olympic coach, it goes down to the national coaches, and to all the collegiate and high school coaches of UAAP, NCAA, PRISAA, [to name a few], then you go down to the LGUs,” added Gregorio.
The former PBA team governor, who graduated cum laude with a degree in tourism management at UP, revealed that the launching of the innovative national grassroots program might be happening next month.
“So going grassroots, it is the 99.99% that is walang spotlight… Grassroots programs are the most unpopular and unglamorous part of sports,” said Hayco.
“Pero that's the source of our athletes and I'm so thankful to chairman [Pato] nakita niya yung importansya sa grassroots,” he added.
An entrepreneur himself, Gregorio tries to transform Philippine sports and turn it into a source of economic gain which could be eventually used to maintain and bolster the national and youth participants of sports.
“Pero personally as chairman of PSC, I am really looking at sports as an integral framework of tourism which is an integral part of economic development. Hindi po siya gastos,” said Gregorio. “Ang gastos po is yung pag-aalaga sa atleta, pag-aalaga sa facilities, to turn it around and sell it as a product, sell it as a brand, sell it as a content, parang Olympics, parang Asian Games...”
“You have a brand, sino kung nag-uunahan? The broadcast, the media nag-uunahan, for rights. “Iyon po ang framework ko bilang chairman. So it is the business of sports to help develop grassroots programs,” he added.
Hayco said Olympians Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo and Elreen Ando were the perfect examples of how it should be done since their discovery in Zamboanga.
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