Philippine Sports Commission chairman Pato Gregorio hailed Ormoc City as a model local government partner in grassroots sports development as it continues its push to become Eastern Visayas’ premier sports hub.
Gregorio expressed admiration for the city’s ambitious sports infrastructure program following a three-day visit that highlighted its growing network of competition venues and training facilities.
“Fantastic vision. Admirable passion. Shine, Ormoc Sports,” Gregorio said after joining city officials led by Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Leyte Fourth District Representative Richard Gomez, and Vice Mayor Carmelo Locsin Jr. during the turnover ceremonies.
Gregorio, accompanied by PSC commissioners Fritz Gaston and Wawit Torres, also led the turnover of a newly installed boxing ring at the Ormoc City Sports Complex. Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo and Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim were also present at the ceremony.
The PSC chief assured city officials of the agency’s full support for Ormoc’s sports development program.
“Thank you endlessly for the wonderful support from the PSC,” Torres-Gomez said. “We all do what we can for each other in God’s garden. You are nurturing the seeds we have sown through the years. God bless all our efforts.”
Among the city’s flagship projects are national training facilities for sporting clays and modern pentathlon, as well as air-conditioned dormitories for athletes and coaches.
A P110-million track-and-field facility at the Ormoc City Sports Complex in Barangay Juaton is expected to be completed by the latter part of 2027.
(C) PSC
Additional venues for tennis, padel, BMX racing, badminton, pickleball, sport climbing, and combat sports are also under development as part of the city’s continuing effort to establish itself as the region’s leading sports destination.
The expanding sports infrastructure has also prompted the PSC to consider Ormoc as the host of the 2028 Batang Pinoy National Championships, the country’s premier grassroots sports competition.
Gregorio presented the proposal to Torres-Gomez and Rep. Gomez during the Eastern Visayas Sports and Youth Summit, saying the PSC is prepared to provide financial assistance should Ormoc secure the hosting rights.
“We want more national competitions to be held in the provinces so young athletes can compete at a high level without always traveling to Metro Manila,” Gregorio said.
He added that many of the country’s top athletes come from the provinces, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in grassroots programs and regional sports development.
Torres-Gomez welcomed the possibility of hosting Batang Pinoy, saying Ormoc is ready to take on the challenge.
The summit, attended by local government representatives from across Eastern Visayas, also featured lectures on key aspects of sports development and administration.
Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo discussed best practices in sports psychology, while National Academy of Sports director Prof. Francis Diaz delivered a lecture titled “Coaching for Success” and explained the academy’s mandate.
Other speakers included Prof. Loujaye Sonido, who discussed leveraging social media for sports promotion; Randy Caluag, who spoke on sports reporting in the digital age; Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim, who tackled effective sports association and club management; PSC Commissioner Fritz Gaston, who presented the country’s high-performance sports program; and Dr. Alejandro Pineda, who discussed anti-doping in sports.
