As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, I take immense pride in the achievements of our fellow Filipinos who continue to excel on the international stage. Every medal they bring home gives pride to the country and reflects the strength, determination and resilience of the Filipino people. Despite the challenges they face, they persevere and proudly carry our flag before the world.

The recent performances of our young athletes once again prove that the future of Philippine sports is bright.

As reported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), four young Filipino weightlifters competed at the 2026 IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, from 6 to 11 July. Alexsandra Diaz swept the 48-kg women’s division, while Jay Colonia captured gold in the clean and jerk and silver medals in the snatch and total.

In the 53-kg category, Jhodie Peralta earned silver medals in the snatch and total. Fourteen-year-old Althea Bacaro (44 kg) won silver in the clean and jerk and bronze in the total, while Kirby Kent Alas-as (60 kg) secured silver in the snatch.

Our rowers also made us proud. At the 2026 Asian Rowing Beach Sprint Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, the Philippine Youth Beach Sprint Team collected three gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

Meanwhile, 2024 Paris Olympian Joanie Delgaco clinched the bronze medal in the women’s single sculls at the 67th Internationale Ratzeburger Ruderregatta in Germany.

We also take pride in the historic run of Alex Eala at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships. She became the first Filipina to win a women’s singles main-draw match at Wimbledon and the first Filipino in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of the prestigious tournament after defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland. Her remarkable achievement is another milestone for Philippine tennis and an inspiration to countless young Filipinos who aspire to excel on the world stage.

These accomplishments are only some of the many victories being achieved by Filipino athletes across different sports.

As a sports enthusiast and an athlete myself, I continue to call for stronger grassroots sports development so young athletes do not have to rely solely on personal resources or chance discovery before receiving serious training support.

I also call for sustained collaboration between the government and the private sector so athletic talent can be nurtured from the very beginning. Investing in grassroots sports is investing in our country’s future.

As I always say, our athletes should only have to focus on their training and competitions. They deserve proper equipment, world-class facilities, adequate nutrition and the moral support they need to fully develop their talents and reach their highest potential.

Since assuming the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Sports in 2019, we have overseen the committee during a period when Philippine athletes delivered major international results, including the country’s first Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games and a twin gold-medal performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

We also played a key role in creating the National Academy of Sports (NAS) by authoring and co-sponsoring Republic Act 11470. Located in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, NAS combines secondary education with a sports-focused curriculum, offering student-athletes the opportunity to excel in both sports and academics.

We have likewise filed Senate Bill 171, or the proposed National Academy of Sports Regional Expansion Act of 2025, which seeks to establish regional NAS campuses in the Visayas and Mindanao to benefit more student-athletes outside Luzon.

As sponsor of the sports budget in the Senate, we have advocated support for the country’s sports development programs, including the repair and improvement of key sports facilities such as the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila and the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Our athletes deserve not only our applause when they win but also our unwavering support throughout their journey. As I always say, sports are not just about winning medals. For our youth, they promote health, instill discipline, nurture dreams and build a brighter future. That is why we must continue supporting our athletes and the next generation of Filipinos.

As Mr. Malasakit, I will continue to work for and support grassroots development so we can build a stronger generation of champions away from vices, dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos.