Gregorio: Nothing is impossible

Briefly, Marcos touched on the heroics of the Philippine athletes on the international stage, mentioning Alex Eala, who has caught the tennis world by storm, and the Philippine women’s football team, a beautiful bunch known as the Filipinas, that earned a second straight stint to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“To our overwhelming support for Alex Eala, we hope many will be encouraged to play not just tennis but other sports as well,” the Chief Executive said.

“The example set by the Filipinas, we hope, will make football more popular so that in the future our country could play in the World Cup,” added the President, who has thrown his all-out support to the Filipino athlete, from one sport to another, through the PSC, the government’s funding arm in sports.

Gregorio, among the many government officials who came to watch, listen to and applaud the President’s SoNA, got the message — loud and clear.

“With the President’s steadfast support for sports, the World Cup is not an impossible dream,” said the PSC chairman, adding that if it can be done by the Filipinas, it can also be done by the Philippine men’s team.

Gregorio reiterated that in sports, anything is possible.

“It will be built on a strong sports industry and a healthy nation. Let’s sustain the momentum and work on these dreams together,” he said after the President’s SoNA that ran just under 90 minutes.

Gregorio, only in his 13th month as the 13th PSC chairman, said all the work is being done to make sure the recent successes in the field of sports, counting the three Olympic golds courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo and gymnast Carlos Yulo, and shining medals in other disciplines, are sustained.

Gregorio has moved mountains making sure the Filipino athletes are provided with their most adequate needs, including training and competition venues like they’ve never had before.

In tennis alone, the PSC, behind a round-the-clock schedule, modernized the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, and earned the nod of the WTA en route to hosting the first WTA125 event in the country earlier this year.

Eala was on full display in the event that drew high grades from the international tennis body and paves the way to another WTA125 event next year and a higher WTA250 in 2028.

And for football, the PSC is transforming the old Rizal Memorial Stadium in a modern set-up, with a grass pitch that could host regional or even world-class tournaments starting the end of the year.

The PSC plans to add more seats to the iconic Stadium, which can currently seat 12,873 fans at strict seating capacity and about 15,000 at standing room. Once finished, the Stadium could seat 25,000 fans.

The PSC is also building a football field in Baguio City, a project that should be done also by the end of the year.

Also in the works are football pitches in Naga City and Barotac Nuevo in Iloilo, and the Mindanao Civic Center in Lanao del Norte, a regional training center for Mindanao — all International Football Federation certified.

The historic Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium is undergoing a major facelift that will turn the venue that once hosted legendary sluggers like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and Pinoy Hall-of-Famers like Boy Codiñera into a thing of beauty.

The PSC entered into a strong partnership with SM Prime Holdings led by Hans Sy, aimed at blending heritage preservation with modern sports development, and a full transformation of this city’s historic district into a world-class sports and lifestyle hub.

Gregorio also spearheaded significant renovations at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City, including improvements to the track oval, aquatic center and indoor arenas, and the training camp in Baguio.

“The President is very excited. Looking forward to finishing this transformation by 2028 - with the hard work and commitment of all,” Gregorio said.

With a strong mandate from the President, Gregorio said there’s no stopping the PSC — all for the good of Philippine sports.