It is a glorious time to be a sports enthusiast in the Philippines as our Filipino athletes, both young and adult, have recently dominated several international sporting competitions — a welcome testament to the caliber of talents that our country is housing.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and an avid sports fan, it fills me with pride to witness our national athletes flourishing in their respective fields.

Last week, I took the opportunity to co-sponsor several Senate resolutions recognizing and congratulating some of our decorated athletes, including five-year-old Jiu-Jitsu champion Aleia Aguilar, eight-year-old chess prodigy Bince Rafael Operiano, bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno, and the ever-dominant Powerlifting Association of the Philippines.

Aleia became the Philippines' youngest world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu after conquering the Kids 1 under 16 kg event at the 2022 Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship while Bince emerged as champion at the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.

On the other hand, Nepomuceno added another medal to his long list of accomplishments after winning gold at the 16th Asian Senior Bowling Championships in Petaling Jaya City, Malaysia while the Powerlifting Association of the Philippines raked up a total of 78 medals — 44 gold, 17 silver, and 17 bronze — at the 2022 Southeast Asian Cup in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Though markedly different in age, gender, experience, and field of sports, these athletes have at least one thing in common: They have all brought immeasurable honor to our country through their excellent talent, discipline, and perseverance.

In fact, their triumphs not only bring glory to the country but also demonstrate that Filipinos have the potential to become globally competitive in any field of sport. That is why I have been persistently pushing for increased support for our country's sports program.

In this view, I introduced Senate Bill 423 or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, which seeks to ensure a more inclusive system of promoting promising Filipino athletes who possess potential in various fields of sports to be given an equal opportunity of becoming future contenders in international sporting competitions and cement the country's status as a "Sports Powerhouse in Asia" again.