Athletes need more investments, says Go

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go pushed for stronger government support for sports development as he led Senate deliberations on the proposed 2026 budgets of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Games and Amusements Board (GAB), and Philippine Racing Commission (PhilRaCom).

“For the past six years, I have been the chair of the Committee on Sports. I’m proud that during my time, we achieved our first-ever Olympic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Games — a historic feat that was followed by two more golds in the Paris Olympics,” he said.

Go said these triumphs prove that consistent and holistic support directly impacts athletic performance and national pride.

He commended the PSC for its role in supporting major sporting events hosted in the country, such as the Philippine Men’s Volleyball Tournament and the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which boosted both sports tourism and international recognition.

Go renewed his call to increase funding for sports, noting that the PSC continues to receive a disproportionately small share of the national budget despite the athletes’ achievements.

“Every year, sports get only a small slice of the National Expenditure Program — barely 0.004 percent of the national budget,” he said. “But when our athletes win, the pride and honor they bring are priceless. That is why we must support them.”

Go recalled that Congress increased the PSC budget to P1.156 billion in 2024 from the Department of Budget and Management’s initial approval of P174 million.

“For 2025, even with the increase to P725 million, that amount is still only 0.001 percent of the P6.325-trillion national budget. That’s why we fought to raise the PSC budget to P1.3 billion,” he said.