On the basketball court, Rain or Shine coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao is known for his fiery temperament, a drill master who screams at everybody, from players to referees.

But on a glittery Monday night, with the sportswriters and all of the luminaries of Philippine sports in attendance, a different Guiao showed up. He was calm, grateful and hopeful for what’s in store for Filipino athletes in the years to come.

While the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Annual Awards Night rightfully belonged to superstar athletes like Carlos Yulo and Alex Eala, Guiao unwittingly stole the show when he received the President’s Award — a fitting recognition for his lonely legal crusade that will effectively change the course of Philippine sports forever.

The crux of the matter dates back to 2016 when Guiao — then the congressman for the First District of Pampanga — filed a petition for mandamus against the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

His argument was simple yet profound: Section 26 of Republic Act 6847 mandates that five percent of Pagcor’s gross revenue be remitted to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to finance the training and participation of national athletes in major international tournaments.

For years, however, an executive order had effectively slashed that share in half, diverting billions away from the athletes and into the discretionary funds of the Office of the President.

Guiao’s legal victory, affirmed with finality by the Supreme Court, restored the PSC’s full five-percent share and mandated back payments of P33 billion to P37 billion to be paid over the next 10 years.

The timing of this recognition at the PSA Awards was truly heartwarming. Philippine sports is currently enjoying its golden age with three Olympic gold medals and world-class finishes in tennis, pole vault, and women’s football. In short, Filipinos are no longer mere participants in major international events — they are now contenders.

Yet, as Guiao himself noted in his acceptance speech, there’s still a lot of room for Filipino athletes to improve — but only if they have a bigger budget that can be used for state-of-the-art infrastructure, elite coaching, training camps,and modern equipment.

With the first of these monthly remittances beginning to flow, the PSC finally has the resources to run its programs. The impact is starting to be felt in grassroots development, the improvement of sports facilities, training centers and the hosting of international sports events to inspire the Filipino athletes.

Guiao’s contribution is a master class in civic duty. It would have been easy for him to remain within the comfortable confines of the Philippine Basketball Association to focus on Xs and Os. But he did not do that. Instead, he chose to fight a lonely battle even if it meant committing what was essentially “political suicide” by taking away funds from the most powerful office in the country.

Under the bright lights of the PSA Awards night on a dreamy Monday evening, Guiao appeared gentle and humble, even expressing a touch of guilt for being the first non-athlete to receive such a high honor.

But the sports community’s reaction told a different story. Athletes, coaches, officials and members of the media fully understood that the trophy he was proudly clutching was truly deserved. It was his reward for waging — and winning — the war all by his lonesome.

What Guiao achieved wasn’t a simple legal victory; it was a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed by countless Filipino athletes for generations to come.

As our athletes march into the 20th Asian Games this year and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, they will be oozing with confidence knowing that they no longer have to compete in worn-out shoes and borrowed uniforms. Instead, they will be fighting with pride, with honor, with competence, knowing the government has given them everything they need for their success.

And they have one person to thank for it — Yeng Guiao.