Patrick Gregorio has been appointed to replace Richard “Dickie” Bachmann as chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

No less than Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin made the confirmation when asked if Gregorio is really on his way to become the 13th chairman of the PSC.

“Yes, that’s right,” Bersamin said in a short message.

Gregorio will formally assume the role on Tuesday, 1 July, armed with a mission of renovating the government sports facilities inside the Philsports compound in Pasig City and Teachers Camp in Baguio City while fostering a solid relationship with other agencies like the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

Sideliners claim that his very close working relationship with Justice Secretary Jonvic Remulla led to his appointment. After all, Remulla had seen him work as they are both part of he group that supports the University of the Philippines (UP)_men’s basketball program.

The 57-year-old Gregorio will bring a wealth of experience and solid leadership to the agency that plays a crucial role in the inspired performance of Filipino athletes in recent major international competitions.

The eldest son of the late UP Spanish professor Martin Verdeprado Gregorio and Lucille Kapunan had a stellar career in the hotel and restaurant industry before being appointed by Manny Pangilinan to serve as executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas when it was founded in 2006.

Then, he was appointed as executive director of Smart Sports before serving as governor of TNT Tropang 5G to the PBA board of governors, paving the way for him to become the league governor in Season 40 in 2015.

He is also no spring chicken when it comes to sports administration.

He served as secretary general of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines under the leadership of Victorico “Ricky” Vargas. When Vargas became the POC chief in 2018, Gregorio served as his secretary general until he stepped down in a controversial election a few months later.

Now, Gregorio is serving as president of the Philippine Rowing Association, a federation that has sent two athletes to the past two editions of the Summer Olympics in Cris Nievarez and Joanie Delgaco.

Aside from that, he also serves as head of the Hospitality and Lifestyle Ventures of Landco Pacific Corp., which manages the hotels inside the Camp John Hay in Baguio City.

With Gregorio at the helm, Camp John Hay was able to successfully host the revived Tour of Luzon 2025 through his sports management firm, Duckworld PH.