Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman John Patrick “Pato” Gregorio hailed Ormoc City as an exemplary local government partner in grassroots development as the city positions itself as Eastern Visayas’ emerging sports hub.

Gregorio expressed admiration for Ormoc’s ambitious infrastructure program following a three-day visit that showcased its expanding network of competition venues and training facilities.

“Fantastic vision. Admirable passion. Shine, Ormoc Sports,” Gregorio said after joining city officials led by Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Leyte Fourth District Rep. Richard Gomez and Vice Mayor Carmelo Locsin Jr, in the turnover rites.

Gregorio, accompanied by PSC commissioners Matthew “Fritz” Gaston and Wawit Torres, also led the turnover of a newly installed boxing ring at the Ormoc City Sports Complex. Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo and Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim attended the ceremony.

The PSC chief assured city officials of the agency’s full support for Ormoc’s sports program.

“Thank you endlessly for the wonderful support from the PSC,” Torres-Gomez said.

“We all do what we can for each other in God’s garden. You are nurturing the seeds we have sown through the years. God bless all our efforts.”

Among the city’s flagship projects are national training facilities for sporting clays and modern pentathlon, along with air-conditioned dormitories for athletes and coaches.

A P110-million track-and-field facility at the Ormoc City Sports Complex in Barangay Juaton is expected to be completed in the latter part of 2027.

Additional venues are being developed for tennis, padel, BMX racing, badminton, pickleball, sport climbing and combat sports as part of the city’s continuing effort to establish itself as the region’s leading sports destination.

The growing infrastructure has prompted the PSC to consider Ormoc as host of the 2028 Batang Pinoy National Championships, the country’s premier grassroots sports competition.

Gregorio presented the proposal to Torres-Gomez and Rep. Gomez during the Eastern Visayas Sports and Youth Summit, saying the PSC was prepared to provide financial assistance should Ormoc secure the hosting rights.

“We want more national competitions to be held in the provinces so young athletes can compete at a high level without always traveling to Metro Manila,” Gregorio said.

He noted that many of the country’s leading athletes come from the provinces, underscoring the importance of sustained investments in grassroots programs and regional sports development.

Torres-Gomez welcomed the possibility of hosting Batang Pinoy and said Ormoc was ready to take on the challenge.

The summit, attended by local government representatives from across Eastern Visayas, also featured lectures on key aspects of sports development and administration.

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo discussed best practices in sports psychology, while National Academy of Sports director Prof. Francis Diaz tackled “Coaching for Success” and explained the academy’s mandate.

Other speakers included Prof. Loujaye Sonido, who discussed leveraging social media for sports promotion; Randy Caluag, who spoke on sports reporting in the digital age; Karate Pilipinas president Richard Lim, who tackled effective sports association and club management; Gaston, who presented the country’s high-performance sports program; and Dr. Alejandro Pineda, who discussed anti-doping in sports.