The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hailed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for putting his stamp of approval on the creation of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC) through Administrative Order No. 38.

The President has mandated the NST-IAC to “harmonize, coordinate, and oversee all government initiatives to develop, promote, and sustain sports tourism in the country.”

It stated that the NST-IAC was created to oversee the “development, promotion, and implementation of sports tourism initiatives.”

Under Administrative Order 38, which was signed by the President on 29 October 2025, PSC chief Patrick “Pato” Gregorio will serve as chairman of the NST-IAC with his counterparts from the Department of Tourism (DoT) as vice-chairperson; and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation as members.

Gregorio cited the NST-IAC as “an invaluable recognition of how sports can enable the youth, enable regional development, enable tourism and enable new industries.”

“We understand our role. We are enablers. Whether it’s working with DepEd for grassroots development or with the DoT for sports tourism, sports will be a key catalyst and driver of the national agenda,” the PSC chief emphasized.

Gregorio said the President, an avid sportsman and the biggest supporter of the Filipino athletes, has recognized the hosting of major international sports events as a perfect avenue to promote the country before a global audience.

“The biggest tourism events in the world are sports events. Sports is a multi-billion industry and the Philippines can absolutely position itself as a sports hub in the Southeast Asian region,” added Gregorio, citing the full support and cooperation from Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

“This is best done in close partnership with the DoT and LGUs that will be hosting these events.”

The creation of the NST-IAC comes on the heels of the country’s successful hosting of the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Championship in 2023 and recently the FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championship. This month, the country will also host the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup and the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

The NST-IAC is designed to “strengthen the Philippines' position as a premier international sports destination, but also (to) generate employment, attract investments, stimulate local economies, and contribute to infrastructure and tourism development.”

The creation of the NST-IAC is also in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 which “highlights the need to expand the country’s participation in major international events and investment missions to strengthen positive global perceptions of the Philippines.”