House resolution hails 22 Filipino Olympians, seeks support for PH sports

A House Resolution commending the 22 Filipino athletes who represented the country in the Paris Olympic Games has been filed in the House of Representatives, saying the Olympians’ efforts should result in increased government support for sports.

House Resolution 1877 authored by House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas and Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel stated that the 22 Filipino Olympians have shown exemplary performance, especially gymnast Carlos Yulo who set a record by winning two Olympic gold medals in floor exercise and vault in mens artistic gymnastics.

Yulo’s exploits also made him the first male Filipino athlete to win Olympic gold after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz bagged the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo Olympics.

Filipino Olympian boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, meanwhile, are also assured of bronze medals, given that they already advanced to the semifinals in their respective weight divisions.

Pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena missed the bronze medal and finished fourth.

“Thanks to our Filipino Olympians, it is shaping up to be the most successful Olympic performance of the Philippines to date. These achievements are the result of years of rigorous training, personal sacrifices, and unwavering dedication by the athletes, often with minimal institutional support,” the resolution said.

“Usually, Filipino athletes are left to their own devices in order to train, enter, and quality in local and international competitions, forcing them to seek financial and professional assistance from relatives and friends, the private sector, and even foreign coaches and teams. Such lack of sustained financial backing and infrastructure for sports development is an overwhelming barrier for potential athletes, most of whom are the youth and come from poor families,” it added.

The lawmakers lamented that the proposed 2025 budget only allocated P725 million for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) which is significantly less than its 2024 budget of P1.156 billion. In addition, the lawmakers said that the newly-created National Academy of Sports will only get a minimal increase under the proposed 2025 budget at P253.3 million from the P230.6 million allocation under the 2024 budget.

“These triumphs should be the wake-up call for the Philippine government as to just how crucial it is to recognize the significant challenges that Filipino athletes face due to inadequate funding and support for sports development in the country, and assist them as early as possible in their pursuits,” the Resolution said.

“The current system primarily focuses on rewarding athletes after they win, rather than providing consistent and substantial support throughout their training and preparation. There is an urgent need to address the systemic issues in sports funding and development to ensure that Filipino athletes —national treasures who offer their blood, sweat, and tears — receive adequate support throughout their careers, not just after achieving success,” they added.

The lawmakers then called for a comprehensive and well-funded sports program for nurturing talent, improving athletic performance, and maintaining the country's competitiveness in international sports events, as well as an inquiry on the state of sports development and funding in the Philippines for the following purposes:

-assessing the current allocation of funds and resources for sports programs;

-identifying gaps in funding and support for athletes across various sports disciplines;

-developing strategies to improve long-term sports development programs;

-exploring ways to enhance infrastructure and training facilities for athletes, which must be primarily publicly financed and

-formulating policies to ensure consistent and adequate support for athletes throughout their careers, not just after winning competitions.

“The House of Representatives call on relevant government agencies, particularly the Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Education, to prioritize and increase funding for grassroots sports development programs,” the resolution said.

“The House of Representatives encourages the private sector to play a more active role in supporting Filipino athletes through sponsorships and partnerships with sports organizations,” it also said.

The other Paris Filipino Olympians are:

• Aleah Finnegan, Levi Jung Ruivivar and Emma Malabuyo (womens artistic gymnastics)
• Eumir Marcial, Carlo Paalam and Hergie Bacyadan (boxing)
• John Ceniza, Elreen Ann Ando and Vanessa Palomar Sarno (weightlifting)
• Joanie Delgaco (rowing)
• Sam Catantan (fencing)
• Kiyomi Watanabe (judo)
• Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch (swimming)
• John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman (athletics) and
• Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina (golf) 

—LDF, GMA Integrated News