The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will team up with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo to establish the largest weightlifting academy in the country.

This partnership to strengthen school-based sports is one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive during the last State of the Nation Address.

In a recent meeting with PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara revealed that at least 298 schools nationwide currently offer a specialized sports curriculum, giving student-athletes more time for training and physical development.

Both Angara and Gregorio emphasized that weight training and weightlifting should serve as the backbone of the program, powering the engine of sports-focused education.

“The core requirement for any sport is weightlifting,” Gregorio said.

“But you can’t just donate equipment without teaching student-athletes how to use it properly and avoid injuries. Someone has to teach them the fundamentals.”

Enter Diaz-Naranjo and her HD Weightlifting Academy. With her unparalleled expertise and status as the country’s first Olympic gold-medal performer, she’s poised to lead the charge in helping shape the next generation of champions.

“You need a champion, an icon, to drive this plan,” Gregorio said.

“Hindi naman puwedeng ibagsak mo na lang ang equipment tapos bahala na sila. You need Hidilyn Diaz and her academy to replicate the program in each of the 298 schools.”

Meanwhile, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman expressed her full support to the meaningful initiative, emphasizing the readiness of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide funding for the project.

“For this project to materialize, we understand that the government should also provide the necessary funding,” Pangandaman said.