National sports association (NSA) leaders gave President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. high grades for his support to Philippine sports, highlighted by upgraded facilities, stronger collaboration with stakeholders, and the growth of sports tourism that now serves as one of the key economic drivers of his administration.

Sports is not expected to get a lot of attention when the Chief Executive delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address (SoNA) at exactly 4 p.m. at the Session Hall of the Batasang Pambansa on Monday.

In his previous SoNA in 2025, however, President Marcos made a slight mention of sports, instructing the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to open the country’s major sports facilities, especially the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC), to encourage the public to stay active and healthy.

He also urged the PSC to forge a collaboration with the Department of Education to strengthen the sports program at the grassroots level and further boost the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy so that they will continue serving their purpose as the Filipino athletes’ pathway to the national team.

For some NSA leaders, the PSC had fulfilled those marching orders to the letter.

Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim told DAILY TRIBUNE that sports had shown significant improvement under the leadership of PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio with the rehabilitation of facilities and increased support to the national athletes.

“Well, we’re okay in terms of the PSC. We don’t have a problem. In fact, when chairman Pato took over, you’ll see a drastic change,” said Lim, an old hand in Philippine sports who is also the chief of mission for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

“There are repairs, new facilities being built, and better support. Then, especially with sports tourism, the more sports events we have in the country, the better. So we’re happy with what’s been going on with sports.”

Lim added that they are excited about what the future holds for Philippine sports entering the final two years of the Marcos administration.

“First of all, what we want to hear is what has been done in the past four years and what’s more to come. We’re looking forward to it. I hope there’s no more negativity. We should just move forward,” he said.

Philippine Tennis Association executive director Tonette Mendoza echoed Lim’s sentiments, saying the rehabilitation of government-owned sports venues has become one of the administration’s most visible accomplishments.

In fact, the RMSC tennis center got a massive facelift, allowing it to host the country’s first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 125 tournament, the Philippine Women’s Open, last January, with no less than Filipina sensation Alex Eala serving as the star of the show.

“We’re happy with what’s happening in sports because the sports commission has been refurbishing many of the forgotten sports facilities. They renovated Baguio, they fixed Philsports sports facilities, and there are a lot of improvements at Rizal Memorial,” Mendoza said. “It’s good for us because it’s now open to the public.”

Mendoza said the improvements go beyond preparing elite athletes, as they also encourage ordinary Filipinos to become physically active.

“So the tennis courts and the track oval, it seems like it will happen there. Aside from physical activity, people are exposed to something that they will watch and be entertained,” Mendoza said.

“That’s what we want to happen - for people to be physically active. We can see that there’s a lot of investment in sports, plus there’s a thrust toward sports tourism, which generates funds and interest. We’re happy with that.”

Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA) vice president Manny de Castro also credited Marcos and the PSC for restoring the historic Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium to international standards.

“During his time, the Rizal Memorial was renovated to international standards. Because of him and Chairman Pato, the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium has been rehabilitated. That alone, for us, is a major accomplishment, and we are very thankful for that,” De Castro said.

“Sports can be utilized for nation-building. It has been proven that sports can unify the country, and maybe through sports, it can help unify the country through winning.”

Another seasoned sports official, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion, meanwhile, expressed gratitude for the financial support extended by Malacañang for the country’s hosting of the Junior World Championships last November.

“If Malacañang wasn’t able to give us enough money for the hosting of the Junior World Championships, we would not have been able to do it,” said Carrion, a former PSC and Department of Tourism executive who will be attending the SONA together with two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo.

“I hope he talks about sports and sports tourism, and I hope he talks about the flood control investigations.”