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Sports governance stakeholders, actors and policies in the Philippines: current issues,
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Article in Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science · August 2016
DOI: 10.1080/21640599.2016.1227544

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Sports governance stakeholders, actors and

policies in the Philippines: current issues,
challenges and future directions
Dennis V. Blanco

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Sports governance stakeholders, actors and policies in the

Philippines: current issues, challenges and future directions
Dennis V. Blanco
AMA international university, Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain

ABSTRACT
The paper begins with a brief retrospective review of the history of KEYWORDS
sports governance in the Philippines with an emphasis on the Philippines; sports governance;
media; politics
American influence on the Filipinos’ sports way of life. It then
proceeds to the identification of contemporary multiple
stakeholders, actors and sub-actors engaged in Philippine sports
governance such as the government, private corporations and non-
profit associations and media and of their corresponding roles in
shaping sports development through their respective policies,
projects, programmes and activities. Subsequently, the paper
attempts to provide a critical analysis of some key current issues and
challenges facing sports governance in the Philippines with regard to
funds, politics, naturalization and selection of foreigners, and good
governance. Finally, by implication, the paper suggests some key
factors to address these sports governance issues such as strong
public-private partnership, investment in sport and the creation of a
Department of Sports.
Introduction
Sport is a significant tool and platform for social change in creating a better and healthier
world. It is an integral part of living, enjoying and learning the blessings of what life has to
offer. Sport keeps people, societies and nations at large vibrant, healthy and dynamic. It also
mirrors and reflects the attitudes, values and passions of the people in a given society
through their triumphs and defeats, joys and sorrows, hopes and frustrations and, more
importantly, their pride and glory every time the country participates in regional and
international competition. Sport creates emotion on a broader scale that is not replicated
by any other cultural activities, such as music, arts or even politics. There is little else that
can inspire as much as emotion and pride among fellow countrymen and women as the
victory of an athlete or team garbed in national colours (Cha, 2009).
The Philippines is no stranger to this, as Filipinos are known to be avid sports-lovers and
fanatics as the country witnesses and produces sports icons and celebrities such as boxer
Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao, a world champion at eight different weight divisions, one of the
longest-reigning world lightweight champions and member of boxing’s International Hall of
Fame Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde, six-time world bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno, billiards
world champion Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, and Asia’s sprint queen Lydia De Vega to name a few.
CONTACT dennis V. Blanco dblanco@amaiu.edu.bh
2 D. V. BLANCo
© 2016 informa uK limited, trading as taylor & francis Group
The Filipinos’ love of and fascination with sports are translated into the resurgence and
immense popularity of the Smart-Gilas Philippine Basketball team, which qualified for and
played in the FIBA World Basketball championship in Spain for the first time in 25 years, and
the Azkals Football National team, which is steadily improving its FIFA rankings. The growing
popularity of volleyball, which can now attract thousands of spectators, is attributable to
media coverage, and the advances made by women’s volleyball at the collegiate and
university levels are a further growing testament to the Filipinos’ love for sports.
But the fact still remains that sport in the Philippines is in a dismal and sorry state,
trailing behind that of regional neighbours such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia and
still a far cry away from the achievements of Asia’s perennial regional sport powerhouses –
China, Japan and South Korea – in terms of medal counts and regional supremacy and
performances in regional competitions including the Southeast Asian Games and the Asiad
Games, let alone the global stage.
However, sporting success and development cannot just be seen from the macro-sport
perspective but also from a micro-sport standpoint. In a country whose national sport in
theory is ‘sipa’ (‘sepak tak raw’) but whose national pastime and passion in practice is
basketball, a sports programme which can encompass and embrace sports for all, i.e.
grassroots sports and elite sports as primary thrusts in the promotion of Philippine sport
more generally, can be a starting point as well as a sustainable basis for development in the
future. But such sports programmes remain challenging and daunting even after 24 years of
implementation, with the Philippine Sports Commission stating that:
After 24 years of a focused program on sports-for-all, grassroots development and elite sports,
we are yet to achieve the sporting phenomenon where all communities make sports a priority
agenda. We are yet to see the parks all over the country brimming with families and children
who play and train sports together. We are yet to see private business enterprises
institutionalize support to sports as part of their corporate social responsibility. We are yet to
witness the growth of the sports equipment industry, and where most of the sporting
equipment is locally manufactured for greater affordability by most Filipino youth. Most of all,
we are yet to grab the olympic gold that had long been elusive. (www.web.psc.gov.ph)
Given these sport-focused objectives in the Philippines, sports governance structures,
stakeholders and policy-actors appear to play an important and significant role in reshaping
and reinventing the country’s sports plans, policies, programmes and projects to enhance
performance in both regional and international competition. This begins with rethinking
and retooling in both the macro-sport and micro-sport levels of policy and governance.
With this in mind, this paper contains the following content on sports governance: (1) a
brief review on the history of sports governance in the Philippines, (2) a discussion of the
current actors, stakeholders and agents in sports governance, (3) a critique of the
contemporary issues and challenges in the sphere of sports governance and finally (4) a
synthesis, by implication, of future policy directions and opportunities for sports
governance in the Philippines.

Methodology
Literature on sports governance, policy and politics was sought via the electronic database
EBSCo and relevant Taylor and Francis online journals to be to be utilized and reviewed for
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 3
the period from January 1973 to January 2015. The search was limited to articles on sports
governance, sports policy and sports politics published in English.
An integrative review was used based on the methodology of Whittemore and Knafl
(2005). Integrative literature reviews seek to provide a comprehensive understanding of a
topic and produce new knowledge through the synthesis of existing information. The review
randomly selected literature which has been represented by the various authors in the
process of synthesizing local and global perspectives. Thus, the paper opts for a qualitative
approach employing an integrative review approach to provide synthesized knowledge and
understanding in order to develop future policy directions in relation to sports governance,
policy and politics.
Articles retrieved included diverse methodologies, both experimental and non-
experimental. The review targeted articles using public policy and gender-based
approaches, and then employed discourse analysis through the assignment of meanings
and interpretations to the perspectives, issues, challenges and opportunities presented in
these articles. In addition to journal searches, searches were also made on government
websites and Amazon. com, which was searched manually to obtain additional research
literature and references.

Notes on the history of sport governance in the Philippines

The historical antecedents of sports in the Philippines are predominantly bound up with the
legacy of American colonization, which introduced to the Filipinos sports as a way of life and
recreation. Although the Philippines was under Spanish control for more than three
centuries whereas the American occupation period lasted for no more than four decades, it
is American colonial rule that has left a lasting impact on the Filipino sports psyche and
culture. Little (2011, p. 591) captures this historical dimension citing the limited extant
literature on the annals of Philippine sports history and noting that most of the literature is
devoted to the influence of American colonization on sports in the Philippines. He writes,
Coverage of the Philippines is similarly mixed. Aside from a short introductory history and a
more anecdotal history of physical education, most attention has concentrated on particular
areas. Thus, while Traditional Sports are well covered in Lopez’s comprehensive study (running
to 590 pages) of folk games, there has been almost no attention paid to Spanish era. It is the
American colonization that has captured most attention, with a number of studies by Beran and
Gems investigating sport during the period of American rule. By contrast, sports in the post-
independence era have been largely overlooked.
The first known government sports organization was the Philippine Amateur Athletic
Federation (PAAF), established in 1911 when the country was still under the American
administration. The spirit behind the organization, as stated in the Federation’s Handbook,
was to resolve the ongoing ‘menace of professionalism’ and erosion in Philippine sports.
The first set of officers was all-American, including the then uS Governor-General W.
Cameron Forbes as its president. Gems (1999, p. 574) further emphasized the role of
American education in inculcating the significance of sports to the Filipino psyche when he
opines that
American teachers in the Philippines employed the same strategies to inculcate sports as did
their counterparts at home. Like educators in the u.S. who hoped to assimilate the children of
European immigrants, the Americans in the archipelago assumed the “white man's burden” of
civilizing and uplifting those they deemed as inferior. In both cases sports proved a valuable
4 D. V. BLANCo
teaching tool, particularly for those who did not speak English. In parks, playgrounds, settlement
houses, and YMCAs, as well as in the schools, sports became the medium of instruction.
Following the pragmatist John Dewey.s advice, children learned by doing.
It should come as no surprise that the American brand of sports legacy apparently still
persists in the Philippines sports culture, with basketball, baseball and volleyball as premier
sports in the country, especially the former, which earns the Filipinos the tag of a basketball-
crazy nation and is undisputedly the most popular sport throughout the archipelago. Gems
(1999, p. 574–575) continues his observations on the American legacy to Philippine sports
not merely from the standpoint of specific sports but also in relation to a collective sports
orientation, comprising an existential perspective and one of democratic responsibility
when he notes that
Working closely with the YMCA, the colonial government emphasized particular values. As early
as 1911, Elwood S. Brown, the YMCA athletics director, prepared a recreation manual for school
officials. Although track and field competition also formed part of the curriculum, teachers
emphasized American team sports, such as volleyball, basketball, and baseball – the “national”
game. While track and field events taught American individualism to communally oriented
groups, team sports served as a microcosm of the larger democracy. Teammates learned loyalty
to a cause, self-sacrifice for the good of the whole, a strong work ethic to achieve their
objectives, and obedience to an authority figure in the form of a coach, manager, or team
captain.
Historically, it was baseball which the Filipinos first fell in love with from amongst the
sports of the American period until basketball overtook it during the post-colonial period.
Antolihao (2012, p. 1) addresses the demise of baseball and the emergence of basketball as
the Filipinos number one when he narrates that
Indeed, competitive sports were, in a way, competing themselves for public attention and
support that determines their position in a society’s sporting hierarchy. More significantly, the
crucial period of competition, when the most popular sports separate themselves from that
eventually faded into oblivion or was relegated into amateur minor leagues, offers distinctive
and valuable insight into the relationship between sports and larger societal dynamics where
they are located.
Beran (1989, p. 62) enunciates the distinctive role of the American education system as a
powerful tool and instrument in the colonization and imperialism processes in gaining the
trust of the Filipinos and essentially winning their hearts and minds. She argues that this
contrasted with the European brand of colonization:
The united States, a relatively recent colonizing nation, developed its own distinctive style in the
Philippines. It was there at the dawn of the twentieth century that the Americans forged a
colonial policy that deviated somewhat from that of other nations with a European heritage.
The Americans, in contrast to the Greeks, the Spanish and the British, implemented a colonial
plan that was based principally upon the provision of free universal education. However, just as
those nations introduced sports in their colonies, so, too, did the Americans.
With the proliferation of amateur sports in the country and in the wake of some
developments in international meetings in the 1960s, the Association for the Advancement
of Amateur Athletic (AAAA) came into existence. It was described to be a ‘kinetic and
progressive’ group of young sports leaders who thought that a change in the PAAF system
was unavoidable and essential.
In order to map out ways of effecting the change deemed necessary, a historic meeting
among AAAA representatives, leaders of different sports, the press and advocates of the
PAAF was convened on 18 November 1960. This resulted in the drafting of a composite bill
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 5
passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and approved by the President of the
Philippines. Consequently, a new PAAF Charter was created, ensuring the decentralization of
the Federation’s activities and granting autonomy to the various National Sports
Associations.
Another milestone in the Philippines sports history was the issuing of Presidential Decree
No. 604 pursuing the establishment of the Department of Youth and Sports Development
(DYSD) in 1974 as the new government sports authority under President Ferdinand
Marcos’s regime. This abolished the PAAF and transferred all its properties, assets and
functions to the Department.
When the Philippines adopted a parliamentary form of government, the DYSD was
renamed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (MYSD). on 31 october 1979, a
Letter of Instructions No. 955 was issued by President Marcos ordering the MYSD to
implement what is now known as a ground-breaking and important endeavour in Philippine
sports history – the ‘Project: GINToNG ALAY’ (PGA).
The primary goal of the project was to integrate and intensify all development
programmes of athletics (Track & Field) in the country. Michael Keon, the PSC Training
Director/ Consultant, was tasked with leading this undertaking and the PGA adopted the
concept of the ‘training camp’, a first in Southeast Asia and situated in Baguio City. Track and
Field athletes were the first batch who went through rigid training and a focused
development programme aimed at improving performance in international competitions.
Later, the programme was extended to include other sports. Among the notable prodigies
of the PGA are legendary athletes Lydia De Vega, Isidro del Prado, Hector Begeo and Elma
Muros.
By 1990, massive developments in the international sporting world were taking place. In
the Philippines, it was the time to strengthen the national sports structure as President
Corazon C. Aquino signed into law the creation of a new government’s sports agency with
stronger and more relevant objectives. Hence, on 24 January 1990, the Philippine Sports
Commission came into being (www.web.psc.gov.ph). Thus, the need to create a national
governance structure which would oversee and create a more comprehensive, inclusive and
robust sports programme, projects and policy became inevitable with the promulgation and
establishment of the Philippine Sports Commission by virtue of Republic Act 6847.

Sports governance actors, stakeholders and agents in the Philippines

Sports governance in the Philippines is relatively young and still in the embryonic stage of
searching for and finding appropriate policy solutions, programmes and projects. This
section addresses the various sports governance actors, stakeholders and agents which
stand at the forefront of charting the sports development trajectory and pathways in the
Philippine setting. These sports governance actors, stakeholders and agents belong to a
mixture of public, private and civil society institutions, entities or organizations such as the
government, private corporations, non-government or non-profit organizations, and
community-based and grassroots organizations.
6 D. V. BLANCo
The president and president’s men
The leading sports governance actors are the president of the Republic of the Philippines
and his or her cabinet officials. As the chief executive, the president is the chief
implementer and facilitator of sports policies, programmes and projects and can
recommend urgent sports policy policies or laws in Congress and certify these in priority
bills or by putting pressure on national sports governing agencies and bodies to effectively
carry out the sports plans, programmes and projects which he or she may regard as serving
the athletes, players, coaches, trainers and the people in general.
In the contemporary history of the Philippines from 1988 to 2015, every president has
had a unique and particular sports agenda and advocacy programmes as reflected in the
Executive order that each president has issued. President Corazon Aquino (1986–1992) is
heralded and widely regarded as the mother of sports governance as it was during her
administration that the Philippine Sports Commission came into being when she ratified
Republic Act No. 6847. It was also during her term in office that the Philippines placed
second in the South East Asian Games behind perennial powerhouse Indonesia by capturing
91 medals, an achievement which is now dubbed the ‘miracle of 1991’.
Through his executive secretary, President Fidel Ramos (1992–1998) wrote Executive
order No. 63, which enunciated the creation of national, provincial, city and municipal and
barangay physical fitness and sports development councils, as well as Executive order
Number 64, which adopted a national policy and programme of ‘sports for all’. This
mandate makes sports accessible to all regardless of age, gender, talent and capabilities and
promotes universal values rooted in sport.
President Joseph Estrada (1998–2001) issued Executive order No. 44 and Executive order
No. 79, which declared the Philippine Youth Games – Batang Pinoy as the National Sports
Development Program for Children and the Palaro ng Bayan as the National Community
Sports Program. For her part, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–2010) released
Executive order No. 535, which prioritized the rationalization of pensions for retired
athletes, and Executive order No. 651, which mandated the strengthening of the grassroots
programme of the Philippine Sports Commission to develop potential olympic gold
medalists as well as to encourage children to play chess so as to nurture their reading and
mathematics skills.
President Benigno Aquino Jr. (2010–2016) issued Memorandum Circular Number 2014-7,
which encourages the local government officials to support the qualifying legs, national
championship and other related activities of the Philippine Youth Games and the Philippine
National Games through the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar
Roxas. Another memorandum President Aquino issued through his Executive Secretary
Paquito ochoa Jr. was Memorandum Circular Number 49 which authorizes all government
agencies and instrumentalities to extend support and participate in the ‘Laro’t Saya sa
Parke’ (Sports and Fun Recreation at the Park Program), which promotes an active lifestyle
by engaging Filipino families in sports and physical fitness activities.
The cabinet secretaries and departments are also important actors in sports governance
in the Philippines. Executive order Number 64 for instance mandates that to effectively
monitor and sustain the implementation of the mass-based sports policy and programme,
some cabinet departments are directed to submit a bi-annual report on the progress and
accomplishments of their respective sports programmes to the office of the President
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 7
represented by the Philippine Sports Commission. These are the Department of Education
for physical education, the Department of Interior and Local Government for community-
based sports, the Department of National Defense and Philippine National Police for
military sports, the Department of Labor and Employment for labour sports, the Philippine
olympic Committee and National Sports Associations for elite sports and international
meets, and the Games and Amusement Board for professional sports.
The sports structure of governance in the Philippines in the context of cabinet portfolios
and departments has evolved under various administrations. It was located under the
Department of Youth and Sports Development, which abolished the Philippine Amateur
Athletic Federation, then shifted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, then to
the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and the Department of Education, Culture and
Sports, and is now affiliated to and housed in the Department of Education as its parent
agency institution. Some legislators have considered the creation of a Department of Sports
which is distinct, autonomous and detached from executive and cabinet departments as a
potential structural reform of sports governance that could address the issues, challenges
and concerns of sports in the country.

Congress
other significant actors in sports governance in the Philippines are the members of the
Congress, namely the Lower House, consisting of not more than 250 members divided into
congressmen elected by districts and party-list representatives, and the upper House,
composed of senators elected at large. The Congress of the Philippines operates according
to the principle of bicameralism. under Article 6 of the 1987 Constitution, legislative power
is vested in the Congress, the primary task and function of which is to make, enact, amend
and promulgate policies, laws and statutes.
Legal mandates and laws enacted and passed by the Congress of the Philippines on
matters of sports governance in the Philippines include the following:
Section 19 paragraph 1 of Article XIV of the present constitution – the 1987 Constitution,
which declares that ‘The State shall promote physical education and encourage sports
programs, league competitions and amateur sports, including training for international
competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a
healthy and alert citizenry’.
Republic Act no.7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Act, which authorizes
local government executives to conduct annual barangay (village), municipal, city and
provincial sports games as part of their powers, functions and responsibilities and mandates
local school boards to prioritize sports activities of the local government units in the
budgetary process and allocation.
Republic Act no. 7549, which exempts all prizes and awards gained by athletes and
players from both local and international sports tournaments and competitions from the
payment of income and other forms of taxation. It is not clear, however, as to whether this
law covers professional players and athletes or is only confined to amateur players and
athletes only.
Republic Act no. 9155, otherwise known as Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001,
which is an act instituting a framework of governance for basic education, establishing
authority and accountability and renaming the Department of Education and Sports as the
8 D. V. BLANCo
Department of Education. This act also provides for the abolition of the Bureau of Physical
Education and School Sports (BPESS). This government reorganization also entails the
transfer of the personnel of BPESS, without loss of rank, to the Philippine Sports
Commission, including all the plantilla or item positions they occupy.

The Philippines Sports Commission

The Philippine Sports Commission is the highest governing body established as a national
regulatory agency and the sole policy-making and coordinating body of all amateur sports
development programmes and institutions. It is managed by a policy-making body, the
Board of Commissioners, which is headed by a chairman and four commissioners, all of
whom are appointed by the President of the Philippines.
The Philippine Sports Commission adopts the Short-Term Philippine Sports Development
Plan 2013–2016 as a policy framework which redefines the priority sports agenda that is
not only comprehensive, integrated and of high impact but is also synchronized with other
Philippine sectors’ priority agendas. This plan is anchored in four strategic directions,
namely: Access to Sports, Governance in Sports, Excellence in Sports, and Support
Structures in Sports with 18 programmes, projects and activities distributed in all strategic
directions and imperatives (www.web.psc.gov.ph/Budget Reports/Programs and
Projects.pdf).
Access to Sports includes programmes, projects and activities such as (1) the PoC-PSC
Philippine National Games (PNG), an annual competition programme that serves as a
national try-out for final selection of the national pool; (2) Batang Pinoy (Philippine Youth
Games) Championships, a national sports competition for children; (3) No Bars in Sports, a
fitness and sports programme for prison inmates; (4) Laro’t Saya sa Luneta (‘Sports and Fun
in Luneta Park’), a park-based sports-for-all project; (5) Greater Access to Sporting Facilities
and Equipment and Sports, a programme to open PSC sports facilities to all; and (6) Sports
Gender and Development, a programme which ensures that Filipino women and girls get
optimum opportunities for empowerment, fitness, well-being and social integration
through sports.
Governance in Sports for its part comprises the following programmes, projects and
activities: (7) A PSC Bureaucracy With Integrity, a programme of sound structure and
management which spells out good governance based on honesty and accountability; (8)
the Rationalized Support System for Elite Sports Development, a programme which
institutes certain mechanisms to regulate expenditure and to make National Sport
Associations (NSAs) accountable for government funds and resources; (9) a Review of
Existing Laws and National Laws and Crafting of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR)
for Existing Sports Laws, a programme for the modification and adjustment of laws without
clear-cut policies contained in Implementing Rules and Regulations; and (10) Mutual
Assistance for Progress in Sports, a programme which endeavours to establish or strengthen
mutual and bilateral relations with countries that can significantly help boost Philippine
sports.
Excellence in Sports consists of programmes, projects and activities such as: (11) Focus
Sports, a performance-based funding scheme to ensure a reasonable and rationalized
support system for 10 focus sports which comprise boxing, taekwondo, athletics, swimming,
wushu, archery, wrestling, bowling, weightlifting and billiards; (12) Regional Elite Training
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 9
Centers, a programme which institutes elite training centres throughout Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao for junior athletes and grassroots coachesl and (13) Rationalized Support for Elite
Training of the National Pool, a programme which allocates 60% of PSC funds to support
high-level training and preparations of national athletes and coaches.
Finally, the Support Structures in Sports consists of the following programmes, projects
and activities: (14) Sports Research and Development, a project which requires regular
evaluation and assessment of the capacity to effectively address issues and challenges in
sports; (15) Sports Information and Communication, a drive to maximize the potential of
sports as a vehicle to convey messages and advocacies on specific issues, particularly
relating to human development and peace especially through grassroots sports with the
help of the media as well as the creation of institutions that undertake sports research; (16)
National Summer Camp, a two-week scientific and high-level sports skills training camp for
selected
Palarong Pambansa (Philippine National Games) medalists in PSC-focused sports; (17)
Sports Facility Development, a campaign to provide the Philippine National Pool state-of-
the-art training facilities equipped with world-class amenities, and to push localities to
reactivate sporting facilities and venues regarded as ‘white elephants’; and (18) Sports
Medicine and Sports Science Services for Elite Training of National Pool, a programme which
provides assistance in the areas of sports science and sports medicine such as nutrition and
diet, sports technology, anthropometry and performance analysis in the training of the
national pool.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and National Sports Associations (NSAs)
The Philippine olympic Committee is the major body in the private sector, the mandate of
which is to develop and promote amateur sports at all levels, from sports-for-all to
grassroots and elite. It acquires its authority from its parent organization, the International
olympic Committee (oIC).
The first Filipino member of the IoC was Jorge B. Vargas, who was inducted to the IoC in
1936 together with Avery Brundage, who subsequently became the fifth IoC President in
1952. Vargas held his position until his death in 1980. The current IoC member from the
Philippines, Francisco Elizalde, was elected to his post in 1985. Between 1980 and 1985,
there was no IoC representative in the Philippines. In 2015, Mikey Cojuangco Jaworski was
elected as the Philippines’ member of the IoC, ensuring Filipino representation in the
governing body (http://www.olympic.ph/historyPoC.html).
Currently, the Philippine olympic Committee accredits the members of the Philippine
Delegation to the olympic Games, Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games. other than
the above-stated Games under the patronage of the IoC, the different NSAs under the
umbrella of the PoC also actively participate in their respective international federations’
(IFs) World Championships and other multi-sports competitions such as the World Games,
university Games, Asian Beach Games and Asian Indoor Games.
Together with its member associations, the National Sports Associations (NSAs), the
Philippine olympic Committee aims to develop and protect the olympic Movement in the
Philippines, to disseminate among young people an interest in sports and sportsmanship, to
encourage the development of high performance in sports, as well as sport for all, and to
help train sports administrators as propagators of olympism, amongst other things. The
10 D. V. BLANCo
Philippine olympic Committee-National Sports Associations enjoys exclusive technical
control which includes the recruitment and selection of athletes for the national pool, and
the selection of participants for international competitions. It also defines and executes
training programmes for elite athletes.
The National Sports Associations currently has 40 regular members, five associate
members and five recognized members. In accordance with the provisions of the by-laws
and constitutions of the Philippine olympic Committee, regular members are all NSAs that
are affiliated to their respective International Federations that govern sports included in the
programme of the olympic Games and other NSAs which are affiliated to their respective
International Federations which govern sports that are played at least once in the Asian
Games or twice consecutively in the Southeast Asian Games. Associate Members are NSAs
which are not affiliated to International Federations governing sports that are played in the
olympic Games, Asian Games or Southeast Asian Games. Distinguished citizens who may be
able to enable the PoC to perform its tasks more effectively, or who have rendered
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 11

eminent service to the cause of sports and olympism, as well as one male and one female
athlete who have taken part in the olympic Games can become members of the Philippine
olympic Committee. However, in the case of the former athletes, their membership expires
at the end of the Third olympiad after the last olympic Games in which they took part
(http:// www.olympic.ph/constiPoC.html).
While the NSAs have autonomous and exclusive technical control over the development
of the sports for which they organize, the PSC is armed with the authority to institute
policies. However, the PoC-NSAS can seek to generate and mobilize funding and resources
from the private sector and industry partners to augment and supplement sports funding
solutions and opportunities.

The private sector

The private sector plays an integral role in the sports development programmes, projects
and activities of almost every country in extending whatever form of assistance it can, be it
financial, technical, logistical, material and capacity-building assistance and support. The
private sector helps to reinforce, supplement and fill in the gaps and plug the holes which
the government or the public sector may not necessarily on their own be able to achieve
especially in bankrolling national teams which represent the country and its flag in regional
and international competitions such as the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the
olympic Games.
In the Philippines, prominent private corporations serve as generous sports patrons of
both grassroots and elite sports development. The Smart-Philippines Group of Companies,
owned by business magnate Manny V. Pangilinan, known as ‘Mr. MVP’, the San Miguel
Corporation Group of Companies, whose president is Ramon S. Ang with business tycoon
Eduardo ‘Danding’ Cojuangco as its major owner, and the Shoemart (SM) Group of
Companies, with Hans Sy as the president, major media corporations such as ABS-CBN
network, GMA- Kapuso Network and TV 5 all provide staunch support for and huge
assistance to sports development programmes, projects and activities of both the Philippine
Sports Commission and the Philippine olympic Committee.
The Smart-Philippines Group of Companies or the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group of
Companies which includes a constellation of companies under its umbrella, including the
Manila Electric Company (MERALCo), the Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT), the
North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), SMART Telecommunication, the Metro Pacific Corporation
and MAYNILAD, bankroll the campaign of the Men’s National Youth Team (under-18)
BatangGILAS, the Men’s National Basketball known as SINAG-Pilipinas, a motley group of
cadet players who represent the country at the South East Asian (SEA) Games, and SMART-
Gilas, the premier men’s basketball team which represents the county at much bigger
international competition such as the Asian Games (ASIAD) and the 2014 World FIBA
Championships held in Spain, which saw the country return to that level of competition
after a 25-year absence.
The Manny Pangilinan Group of Companies is also a major backer and sponsor of
prominent and elite collegiate varsity teams such as Ateneo De Manila university Blue Eagles
in the universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (uAAP) and San Beda College Red
Lions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA), both major
leagues in collegiate sports. The Manny V. Pangilinan Group of Companies also owns three
clubs playing in the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia – the Philippine
Basketball Association (PBA). They are the Talk N Texters, the NLEX Road Warriors and the
12 D. V. BLANCo

MERALCo Bolts. It recently took over TV 5, which broadcasts several sports competitions in
basketball, volleyball, football, billiards and so on.
The group is also responsible for bringing National Basketball Association (NBA) players to
play in the Philippines in several exhibition games with the men’s national team. In addition
to basketball, the MVP Group of Companies are also major sponsors of other elite sports
such as the men’s national football team (the AZKALS), the national women’s volleyball
team and boxing teams. At present, the MVP Group of Companies are bidding the
Philippines to host the 2019 Men’s FIBA World Basketball Championships, which is now a
contest between China and the Philippines as FIBA has decided to stage the event in Asia.
The MVP Group of Companies is also a major stakeholder in the Smart Araneta Coliseum,
which has historically been known as the ‘Big Dome’ and is the venue for the biggest major
sports events in the country such as the famous ‘Thrilla in Manila’ fight between
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1974 and the Crispa-Toyota Philippine Basketball
Association rivalry during the 1970s and the 1980s and was once heralded as the ‘Mecca of
Sports in Asia’.
Not to be left behind, the San Miguel Corporation Group of Companies (SMC), which
includes a network of companies such as San Miguel Beer, Ginebra San Miguel, the
Purefoods Corporation and Philippine Airlines (PAL), is active in supporting grassroots sports
development not only in urban centres but also in the countryside. Eduardo ‘Danding’
Cojuangco was one of the godfathers of Philippine sports during the 1980s and 1990s,
which saw the Philippines men’s national team winning its last FIBA Asia Men’s Basketball
Championship in 1986 with naturalized players such as Chip Engelland, Dennis Still and Jeff
Moore.
Like the MVP Group of Companies, the San Miguel Corporation owns three teams in the
Philippine Basketball Association – San Miguel Beermen, Purefoods Star and the league’s
most popular club, Barangay Ginebra. It is also a major sponsor of an equally prominent
collegiate team in the uAAP, De La Salle university Green Archers, and an able supporter of
volleyball, billiards, boxing, bowling and other focused and elite sports. Boxing greats
Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde and Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and billiards legend Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes
were once popular celebrity endorsers of San Miguel food and beverage products.
Aside from MVP Group of Companies and the San Miguel Group of Companies, another
private corporation which supports sports development programmes, projects and activities
in the Philippines is the Shoemart (SM) Group of Companies, which is owned by one of the
richest billionaires in Asia, Henry Sy, and is currently managed by his son Hans Sy. The
Shoemart Group of Companies includes SM Shopping Malls, which has branches all over the
world with the biggest being the Mall of Asia (MoA), Banco de oro (BDo), a leading
commercial bank in the Philippines, and Megaworld Realty Corporation, a leading
condominium and realty business, which recently took over the ownership of the National
university, a member of the uAAP. The SM Group of Companies’ involvement in sports
development became more pronounced when it supported and then catapulted the
National university Bulldogs to their first ever uAAP championship after 60 years. The group
also owns the MoA Arena, one of the biggest sports venues in the Philippines, which is now
the current toast of major sports events, concerts and events in the Philippines.

The media
Media corporations also provide strong support and huge assistance to the sports
development programmes, projects and activities in the Philippines in terms of enhancing
the popularity and awareness of sports events and programmes. The major media
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 13

corporations which provide media coverage include the giant television networks, ABS-CBN
network, GMA-Kapuso network and TV 5.
The ABS-CBN Corporation, popularly known as Channel Two in mainstream television
programming, is owned by Eugenio Lopez Jr. and his family and has several cable channels
such as Sky Cable, Balls TV and True Filipino Channel (TFC) for overseas Filipino workers
worldwide. It enjoys exclusive broadcast rights of sports programmes, games and events
such as the uAAP, the Pinoy Pride Series of Boxing, National Basketball Association games,
and Balls TV cable channel’s Sports Plus Channel is basically a sports channel which
broadcasts and covers major sporting events locally and globally. It also broadcasts sports
programmes and talks shows such as Sports unlimited, Hard Ball and Sports u.
In particular, it is credited largely for the emergence and immense popularity of
volleyball, which is slowly challenging basketball in terms of crowd attendance, gate receipts
and audience shares. The process began when ABS-CBN broadcasted the uAAP Women’s
Volleyball Championships pitting two fancied, storied and bitter rivals, the Ateneo De Manila
university Lady Blue Eagles and the De La Salle university Lady Green Spikers, breaking
attendance records and gate receipts as well as audience share which could only rival
basketball championship games in the collegiate men’s basketball championship and PBA
games. Previously when there had been no media coverage of volleyball games, there were
only sparse audiences at games, with a popular volleyball player once quipping, ‘as if we are
the only ones playing and nobody is watching’.
But now as a result of the media breakthrough, a volleyball game can fill the 15,000-seat
Smart Araneta Coliseum or the 20,000-seat MoA Arena every time the Ateneo Lady Blue
Eagles and De La Salle Green Spikers play. Volleyball players became household names,
which could not have been imagined before, and thanks to ABS-CBN’s coverage volleyball is
now fast becoming a popular sport in the Philippines. Because of such success, the TV
network is expanding its national coverage not only of uAAP basketball games on a national
basis but including volleyball as well as football, baseball, softball and other sports events
which are not as popular as basketball.
ABS-CBN also covers local and international games played by the national football team,
including friendlies and the Asia Suzuki Cup, helping to make football (or soccer) a rapidly
growing sport in terms of popularity among Filipinos as the Azkal fever sweeps across the
country. As a result of media coverage, popular football players such as Phil and James
Younghusband, Neil Etheridge and Chiffy Caligdong have also become popular household
names in a sport to which most Filipinos were previously oblivious. Rehal (2013, p. 1)
defines the Azkal fever phenomenon when he states that:
Azkal Fever – This newly-regained consciousness surrounding the national soccer team and
more generally the sport of soccer (as the game is referred to in the Philippines, in line with
American colonial influence) emerged as the consequence of victory over Vietnam and
increased when the team received formal recognition and citation from the country’s president
prior to their semi-final clash with Indonesia during the same event.
TV 5 is owned by Manny ‘MVP’ Pangilinan and has the exclusive broadcast rights to air
the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games, National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) games, and games in the united Football League (uFL) (a local soccer league) and
Super Liga (a local semi-professional women’s volleyball tournament). It also owns several
cable channels such as its international sports cable channel Aksyon TV 5 International.
TV 5’s success is attributable to its coverage of PBA games and, more importantly, the
Men’s National Basketball Team Smart-Gilas journey to several regional and international
competitions such as the 2013 FIBA-Asia Men’s Basketball Championship held in Manila, the
2014 FIBA World Championship in Barcelona, Spain, and the Asian Games in Incheon, South
14 D. V. BLANCo

Korea. Basketball is the sport that is the closest to Filipino hearts and minds. The Philippines
is a basketball-crazy nation and a basketball republic, which explains why basketball is a
different kind of sporting spectacle which attracts wider media coverage because for most
Filipinos, it is a religion. Bartholomew (2011, pp. 5–6) writes,
Apparently, in this county halfway around the world, basketball was the only team sport that
registered the populace’s heart and mind; baseball and football were afterthoughts. In this
overwhelmingly Christian country, basketball was a cultural force on par with the Catholic
Church. This world where the local dedication to the round ball would give my own fanaticism a
run for the money. The Philippines.
TV 5 captures and narrates the joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats as the Smart-Gilas
national basketball team composed of PBA players battle it out with the region’s and world’s
best, making ‘puso’ (the heart) instantly warm to Philippine sports. At the FIBA-Asia Men’s
Basketball Championship, Filipinos witnessed their team secure its best finish since 1986 by
placing second behind regional powerhouse Iran, beating its rival South Korea in the semi-
finals and slaying the ghost which has haunted them in the past with heartbreaking losses
and nerves. The Smart-Gilas Philippine Basketball Team even became the new darling of
world basketball as it performed on the global stage, giving scary moments to world
basketball powerhouses Croatia, Argentina and Greece, putting up a good fight against
Puerto Rico and finally winning its first-ever basketball game at this level against Senegal.
But such euphoria was short-lived and the Smart-Gilas Team suffered its worst debacle in
the Asian Games as it again fell back to earth placing ninth, having lost to Iran, Qatar and
South Korea, with a game against Kazakhstan turning ugly when Coach Vincent ‘Chot’ Reyes
instructed naturalized player Marcus Douhit to shoot in the opponent’s goal to force
overtime so that it would be possible to catch up with the quotient system in a desperate
attempt to reach the quarter-final round. Nevertheless, coverage on TV 5 of the series of
games featuring the Smart-Gilas Basketball National Team solidified basketball’s grip on
premier national sport and confirmed the undisputed passion of the Filipinos for sport in
general.
GMA Kapuso TV has aired several of Filipino boxing icon Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao’s
fights, has broadcasted live NBA Finals and is a persistent bidder for the exclusive rights of
PBA games, uAAP and NCAA games and other major sporting events. More recently, the
network has broadcast fights involving Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane
Mosley, Timothy Bradley and Chris Algieri with tie-ups to Solar Sports, the sports cable
channel with
Wilson Tieng as its president, responsible for unifying all the three major networks –
ABSCBN, TV 5 and GMA TV – by airing free the ‘Fight of the Twenty-First Century’ between
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather on 2 May 2015, a first in the history of Philippine
sports television. This was proof of the sport’s unifying force even amidst television wars
and bragging rights.

Philippine sports: current issues, challenges and implications

It is clear from the previous discussion that the national governance structures are in place,
sports governance actors and stakeholders exist and a comprehensive and robust sports
policy framework has been established for Philippines sports. But despite this, there are still
nagging issues and challenges which affect the current status and condition of sport in the
Philippines which primarily involve these various structures, actors, stakeholders and
policies. This section takes a closer look at some of the current issues, challenges and
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 15

questions the state of Philippine sports, and considers what is preventing it from fulfilling its
true potential.

Lack of funds
The Congressional budget known as the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allots funding to
the Philippine Sports Commission, which is spent mostly on its daily operations. The main
bulk of the Philippine Sports Commission Budget, known as the National Sports
Development Fund, amounts to at least 400 million pesos a year and comprises the
contributions and major donations of government corporations such as the Philippines
Games and Amusement Board (PAGCoR).
The Philippine Sports Commission then spends the National Sports Development Funds
on training equipment and facilities and on monthly allowances for athletes, coaches and
trainers within the NSAs. In the 2015 National Expenditure Program of the Department of
Budget and Management (www.dbm.gov.ph), it was stated that the government allots
186,924,000 pesos as current operating expenditure, which represents a slight increase
from the agency’s 2014 national budget of 182,313,000 pesos. This pales into insignificance
when compared to funding in Singapore, which has a population of only 5 million and
allotted 7.4 billion pesos in 2011 alone, as compared to the 186.9 million pesos for a
projected 2015 population of 102,965,300 million Filipinos (www.ncsb.gov.ph).
Thus, such an increase may not be enough to support a comprehensive national sports
programme throughout the entire archipelago and uphold the general welfare and interests
of the Filipino sports. A huge chunk of the funds must be spent on Filipino athletes and
players participating in regional and international competitions such as the Southeast Asian
Games, the Asian Games and the olympics aside from the grassroots and local sports
development programmes such as the Philippine National Games and the Philippine Youth
Games, to name but a few, together with the Philippine Sports Commission’s daily operating
expenditure. Added to these commitments are the various NSAs’ budget proposals for the
equipment, facilities and infrastructures for the athletes, players, coaches and trainers in
their fold.
An editorial in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (16 August 2011) lamented the lack of funding
and lack of attention being paid to sports:
It is a pity that sports in general is not being given enough attention by the government and
the private sector. Some countries have become identified with certain sports, such as Brazil,
with football, and the united States, with baseball and golf. The Philippines has gained millions
of dollars worth of international publicity because of the outstanding achievements of Manny
Pacquiao in boxing. We could gain more publicity and renown if we could excel in other
international sporting events.
Even the current Philippine Sports Commission Chairman, Ricardo Garcia, in an interview
for the Philippine Star said that ‘Any form of advice that will come from the PSC will come
out as negative, because right now our government has more pressing problems, like
housing, security, energy that will have much more priority than sports’. This indicates that
sports are not a priority concern for the government, which is more interested in addressing
major social and economic issues rather than sports excellence and development, and some
attribute this to the administration’s lack of inclination to make sports one of the highest
items on the government’s agenda.
Lack of funding for sport will inevitably result in poor physical and mental conditioning of
athletes, a lack of training materials, facilities and infrastructure, outdated and obsolete
sports science and technology, and ultimately mediocre and lacklustre sports performance.
16 D. V. BLANCo

Without adequate funds, the debacle in regional and international sports competitions will
persist.

Hiring foreign coaches, trainers, naturalized players and Fil-foreigners

Another issue in Philippine sport is the hiring of foreign coaches, trainers, naturalized
players and Fil-foreigners in local leagues and regional and international competition. This is
a repercussion of the globalization of sport. But if this practice becomes rampant, it eases
out and displaces local players, coaches and trainers because of the preference for and
favours given to foreign and imported sporting talent. This is a major concern when
nationalism, job opportunities and education scholarships become significant issues.
The recruitment of Fil-foreigners and foreign players to national squads damages the
chances of local players representing their country in regional and international
competitions. The likes of Marcus Douthit in basketball, Daniel Caluag in BMX biking, Treat
Huey and Katharina Lehnert and track and field athlete Eric Cray have added another
dimension to Philippine sports. Also in this mix are some of the players and coaches of the
Smart-Gilas Men’s national basketball team and the Philippine Azkals national football team
players and coaches, who are Fil-foreigners and foreigners respectively.
In the collegiate leagues such as the universities Athletic Association of the Philippines
(uAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA), the issue
of allowing imported or foreign players to play faces criticism as this denies local players a
chance to get a place in university teams and receive scholarships which instead are given to
foreign players due to the imposition of the policy that allows foreign or imported players to
compete in the collegiate leagues.
This also creates controversy within collegiate clubs because it affects the parity of the
league and the competitive balance since only those colleges and universities which have
enough funds, resources and alumni support will be able to hire blue-chip rookies and
imports as compared to those colleges and universities which do not possess such funds,
resources and the backing of wealthy and prominent businessmen and personalities such as
Manny Pangilinan, who is a staunch supporter of Ateneo De Manila university Blue Eagles in
the uAAP and the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., who is an avid
supporter of De La Salle university Green Archers, and Hans Sy, the owner of the National
university.
In Asia’s oldest professional play-for-pay basketball league – the Philippine Basketball
Association – the influx of Filipino-American players (Fil-Am) diminishes the opportunities of
home-bred players to be drafted, as Fil-Am basketball players usually get selected by the ball
clubs for their athletic and conditioning skills. Even in the profile of the current roster of
Philippine Basketball Association coaches, Tim Cone, Norman Black, Alex Compton and the
recent appointment of Tab Baldwin as the men’s national basketball team coach make the
consequences of the globalization of professional sports very evident. The hiring and
selection of foreign basketball coaches over Filipino basketball coaches has been raised
before by the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) contending that
Filipino coaches are as talented and competent as foreign coaches.
In general, the hiring, selection and recruitment of foreign coaches, naturalized players
and Fil-foreigner athletes are accepted as long as they have the competence, qualifications,
skills and, more importantly, the desire and sincerity to coach, train, play and eventually
represent their country, school and club with a high degree of national pride,
professionalism and idealism. But the bottom line is the need for the Philippines to frame
and implement a robust, sustainable and comprehensive sports programme to develop
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 17

world-class athletes who are homegrown instead of relying on foreign or Fil-foreigner talent
alone to win medals in local, regional and international competition. As one newspaper
columnist, Ding Marcelo (Manila Bulletin, 6 october 2014), exclaimed:
Why? That’s a really long story. But the short of it is that Philippine sports have no program to
develop its own world-class athletes. So, we depend on people like Caluag, Andray Blatche, and
Marcus Douthit, tennis players like Treat Huey and Katharina Lehnert, track and field bet Eric
Cray. When they bomb, Philippine sports go up in smoke.

Too much politics?

The Woodrow Wilson political-administration dichotomy is one of the leading paradigms in
governance and administration. Administration must be free from political conflict
according to the Wilsonian Doctrine. However, the paradigm does not apply in the case of
sports governance in the Philippines. The Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine
olympics Committee and the National Sports Associations are all embroiled in politics, which
results in many stalemates, gridlocks and deadlocks, with players, athletes, coaches, trainers
and sports fans as the ultimate losers.
Some of them are caught in the middle of feuding sports officials, resulting in the loss of
financial support, barriers to participation in international competition and, worse still,
actual suspensions and bans from joining regional and international competition as a result
of sanctions invoked by the international sports accrediting bodies for failures to settle
disputes.
In basketball, the International Basketball Association (FIBA) enacted a ban on the
Philippines participating in regional and international competition as a result of feuding
between the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) – later Pilipinas Basketball,
headed by Joey Lina – and Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP), led by Manny ‘MVP’
Pangilinan. The ban prevented the Philippines from competing in regional and international
games and was only lifted when FIBA finally recognized the SBP as its duly accredited and
recognized basketball association in the Philippines after the dissolution of Pilipinas
Basketball and after the Pilipinas Basketball and Basketball Association of the Philippines
signed a memorandum known as the Tokyo Communique, which opened the way to the
new governing basketball body of the Philippines – Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
In volleyball, the Philippine Volleyball Federation has asked for justice and due process
from the Philippine olympic Committee, which stripped it of recognition as the accredited
national volleyball sports association and instead awarded this status to the newly formed
Larong Volleyball Sa Pilipinas Incorporated (LVPI) with the approval of the international
award-giving body, the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIBV). Again the spectre of
facing a possible ban on participating in international competition looms, as sports
columnist Joaquin Henson (Philippine Star, 2 April 2015) explains:
With the FIVB’s decision, both the PoC and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) now recognize
LVPI as the NSA for the sport. Still, certain players loyal to the PVF refuse to participate in any
activities, including national team tryouts, related to the LVPI. The country is the biggest loser
in this state of affairs. If the PVF makes good its threat to go to court, the FIVB will likely step in
and suspend the Philippines from international competitions. Clearly, the situation calls for
sobriety, openness and a willingness to compromise for the country’s sake.
Even squash, which is not as popular an elite sports as basketball or volleyball, has had its
share of politicking and bickering in the struggle to gain recognition, with the Philippines
Squash Academy asking for recognition which is already granted to the Squash Rackets
Association of the Philippines as the official NSA. Some other NSAs encounter similar
problems involving their officials and stakeholders which can be attributed to the lack of
18 D. V. BLANCo

awareness about good governance mechanisms and procedures. With specific reference to
the Amateur Boxing Association in the Philippines in an interview with Rappler.com, we find
a description of how excessive and dirty politics are dragging down Philippines sports:
[After the olympics], they come out with excellent programs and ideas until one month from
today when it all subsides then we’re all back to politics – elections of new NSA heads,
elections of PoC, then back to PSC – and I bet you that’s what’s going to happen. There is
politics in sports and it’s very strong ... they [the leadership] use the same political savvy to stay
in office. They use political names, they use their own clout to stay in office. ( Rappler, 16
August 2012)

Lack of good governance

The primary reason for the suspension and banning of NSAs is non-adherence to the
International olympic Committee’s and the Philippine olympic Committee’s policies on good
governance, which require a review process and compliance in their respective constitutions
and by-laws. Good governance requires observance to and compliance with the IoC and PoC
charter, which requires holding democratic and fair elections regularly, registering with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), liquidation of financial assistance and expenses
received from the government and compliance with its requirements, and securing the
support of the stakeholders in the sports which they purport to represent.
As a matter of policy, the Philippine olympic Committee can only recognize one NSA for
each sport and conducting a PoC-sanctioned election is one of the primary requirements as
proof for legitimacy. Joey Romasanta, the PoC First-Vice-President, emphasized this in an
interview with Philippine Star sports columnist Joaquin Henson (Philippine Star, 1 February
2015):
The IoC demands a fair and democratic election involving as many stakeholders as possible. The
PoC demands the same of every NSA. Elections are a tool to manage and govern an
administrative incidental. The primary concern of an NSA is the sport it governs, not the
officers, not the Board. It is a disservice to the sport if an NSA exists to cater to officers. Every
sport needs a hero to create a bandwagon effect. our goal must be to develop and promote
sports.
For example, the cases of the softball and volleyball NSAs depict contrasting examples of
non-observance and non-compliance as regards holding regular elections. In the case of
softball, the NSA experienced a failure to hold elections and asked for a holding period of
two years without conducting a PoC-sanctioned election, which in effect was a violation of
the NSA’s constitution and by-laws. As a result, the association lost legitimacy and the
officers lost credibility with regard to the capacity to lead and govern the association.
In the case of the former NSA which represents volleyball, the Philippine Volleyball
Federation, it is not the failure to conduct a democratic and fair election which is the main
concern, but rather the holding of an excessive number of elections (three times within five
months), resulting in confusion on the part of the Securities and Exchange Commission – the
government agency responsible for granting the legal incorporation of every association or
organization in the Philippines. Moreover, it is not the absence of an NSA constitution and
by-laws but the re-filing of the constitution which results in double identity that prompted
the Securities and Exchange Commission to withdraw its recognition of the PVF in its list of
corporations.
At the time of writing, the Federation Internationale de Volleyball, the Philippine olympic
Committee and the Asian Volleyball Confederation recognize the Larong Volleyball sa
Pilipinas Incorporated as the official and legitimate NSA in the Philippines. However, the
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 19

Philippine Volleyball Federation is bringing the case to court for settlement as a challenge to
the withdrawal of its recognition as an NSA by the Philippine olympic Committee.
There are also some NSAs that still fail to fully liquidate the financial assistance they
receive from the Philippine Sports Commission, which is antithetical to the principles of
honest, transparent and accountable governance. Gutierrez (Rappler.com, 16 August 2012)
illustrates the problem:
Not long ago, NSA chiefs butted heads with ex-PSC chairman Harry Angping, after the former
failed to report to the PSC and liquidate millions of pesos in advances, which resulted in NSAs
having to face the court. The PoC allegedly led a movement to take Angping out of power and
put Garcia in position, which has opened up a controversial PoC-PSC partnership. Today,
numerous NSAs have still not been able to adequately liquidate financial assistance they
received from the government.
The two illustrative cases of the NSAs representing softball and volleyball raise issues and
concerns similar to those facing other NSAs in the Philippines inasmuch as upholding the oIC
and PoC Charter as well as their own constitutions and by-laws is susceptible to
transgression, which inevitably results in withdrawal of recognition and essentially
legitimacy as a sports association. When disputes are dragged into political and legal
controversy, there are no winners but only losers, as international accrediting and governing
bodies will usually impose a fine, suspension or, in the worst-case scenario, a ban on the
sports association and the sport it represents on participating in future international
meetings and competitions.
What seems to be needed is for the NSAs to have a fuller understanding of their
constitutions and by-laws as well as the democratic processes involved in the governance of
sports and not to ignore the paramount goal of the association, which is to serve the
interests and welfare of their respective sports and the stakeholders it represents and not to
be consumed by power, greed and ambition to perpetuate the self-interests of its leadership
and officials alone. Staying within the context and framework of upholding the IoC and PoC
Charters on Good Governance as well as NSAs’ own constitution and by-laws is an integral
element in achieving good governance in Philippine sports.
The Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine olympic Committee are also under
scrutiny for not fulfilling their mandate as the main sporting bodies and agencies of the
country in relation to promoting sports development and excellence. While giving
instructions to NSAs to address their problems, the PSC and PoC also face challenges.
Legislators are pushing for a review on the effectiveness and efficiency of the PoC and PSC in
preparing and honing the skills of Filipino athletes for competition at the international level
and global levels. But the PSC and PoC cannot do it alone; progress needs the cooperation
and assistance of other major stakeholders, actors and players in sports – the private sector,
the schools, media, civil society and grassroots organizations – to fully realize the goal of
global excellence in sport.
Another factor that hinders Philippine sports from achieving global excellence is that the
sports in which Filipinos are known to excel such as billiards and bowling are considered as
demonstration sports only and do not count in the medal standings at the olympic Games.
otherwise the likes of Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Paeng Nepomuceno would have been
favourites for olympic medals. In addition, there is the overemphasis on basketball, which is
a game that requires strength and height. As a result of so much fascination with and love
for the game of basketball, other sports in which Filipinos can demonstrate the potential to
excel are left out in terms of priorities and funding. Because of the focus on basketball,
sports such as softball and dragon boat racing, as well as other sports in which the
20 D. V. BLANCo

Philippines used to excel, including baseball, tennis and bowling, are forgotten and/or given
insufficient attention and funding.

Implications
Philippine sport is ailing and requires thorough examination and evaluation of its current
challenges, issues and concerns and recommendations and suggestions to improve its
governance. Based on the aforementioned the current issues, challenges and concerns in
Philippine sports, including the lack of funding, hiring naturalized players and recruiting
foreign coaches and players, too much politics and a lack of good governance are some of
the leading themes which need to be addressed by policy-makers.
The lack of funds can be remedied by exploring and exhausting all possible ways and
means of augmenting the sports budget and not solely relying on the government for
priority funding. This can be done by tapping the private sector, which is one saving grace in
Philippines sports. Private corporations such as the Manny Pangilinan Group of Companies,
San Miguel Corporation, SM Group of Companies to name just a few have been generously
providing an enormous amount of financial assistance to sports development programmes.
For their part, media corporations such as the Big Three – ABS-CBN, GMA TV and TV 5 –
have contributed in enhancing the popularity of less-heralded sports such as volleyball and
football, allowing them to gain greater prominence and wider appeal through media
coverage comparable with that given to basketball and giving financial support to grassroots
and elite sports development programmes. A public-private partnership initiative is,
therefore, a practice which can be replicated and emulated in Philippine sports.
It is reported that at the time of writing, the Philippine Sports Commission will initiate
the finalization of the planned establishment of a national training centre in Clark Field,
Pampanga, with the help of the private sector amounting to three billion pesos. It will be
equipped with state-of-the-art sports facilities away from the hustle and bustle of the
metropolis, which hinder an exclusive focus on training regimes.
With regard to the naturalization of players and recruitment of foreign or Fil-foreign
players and coaches, this phenomenon is an inevitable product of the globalization and the
professionalization of sport because it improves the level of competition. However, it also
serves as a challenge to home-bred and home-grown Filipino players, athletes and coaches
to upgrade and harness their abilities, skills and talents in terms of physical and mental
conditioning, to improve their skill sets and performance, and to increase their knowledge
of sports science and technology. That said, sports leaders and officials must be selective in
the act of naturalizing players to wear the national colours by testing that their commitment
and sincerity to represent the country for which they wish to play are nor simply rooted in a
desire for material or financial rewards.
The issue of too much politicking and bickering in Philippine sports can be avoided by
providing national summit meetings in sport, the main theme of which will be a massive
campaign to raise awareness of the IoC and PoC Charters on Good Governance and more
importantly to review the NSAs’ respective constitutions and by-laws to establish a
conscious and deliberate effort to familiarize NSA leaders and officials with the relevance of
a democratic framework and organizational legitimacy on the basis of the rule of law, the
promotion of the common good and national interest.
Finally, on the lack of good governance, at the time of writing some legislators are
mulling over the creation of a Department of Sports which will specifically oversee, monitor
and supervise Philippine sport development programmes, plans and projects as a matter of
structural reinvention of sports governance. Sports have traditionally been placed under the
 ASIA PACIFIC JouRNAL oF SPoRT AND SoCIAL SCIENCE 21

umbrella of one primary executive or cabinet department, either in the Department of

Social Welfare or in the Department of Education. However, Philippine sport is in need of a
cabinet department or portfolio which prioritizes the welfare of Filipino players, athletes,
coaches and trainers as its main focus of operation and locus of interest instead of being
merely a shared and divided interest housed in a particular executive department. A
Department of Sports with devolved structure, processes and resources can effectively
orchestrate and supervise the promotion and development of Philippine sport with greater
freedom and autonomy.
There are two bills pending in the Congress of the Philippines. Senate Bill Number 3092,
with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as its main author, provides for the creation of a
Department of Sports. Senator Trillanes also proposes the establishment of an Amateur
Sports Development Bureau which would specifically focus on grassroots sport
development in rural areas and provinces. Meanwhile Senators Pia Cayetano and Sonny
Angara Jr. are keen on establishing a Philippine High School for Sports which will serve as a
talent centre and training ground for promising and outstanding young athletes and players
around the country by providing them with a free scholarship and education, following the
pattern established by the Philippine High School for the Arts, which produces world-class
talent in the field of the arts. It is hoped that that the same formula can work for sport.
In a nutshell, good governance plays a vital role in the conduct of sports. Although often
overlooked and neglected as a priority concern on the part of the government, the
opportunity exists for the government to involve other equally important stakeholders and
agents in sports such as the private corporations, the media, civil society organizations,
industry partners and the academic communities to establish collaborative and participatory
approaches for addressing the needs of Philippine sport, particularly the needs of its
players, athletes, coaches and trainers, who are willing to sacrifice everything for the glory
of their nation and their countrymen. A government which values sports is a government
that values its people.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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