Marcos to seek advice from Carlos Yulo for PH sports improvement

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. plans to improve the Philippine’s sports sector to produce more athletes who will compete and win medals in the Olympic Games.

That is with the help of Gen Z gymnast Carlos Yulo, the country’s first two-time Olympic gold medalist who won in the men’s men’s floor exercise finals and the men’s vault finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Speaking to the reporters on Wednesday, Marcos said he would talk with Yulo to discuss how the government could help improve the Philippines’ sports industry.

“’Pag ka nagkita kami, itatanong ko sa kanya, ‘Ano ba ang maitutulong ng pamahalaan para mas dumami ang ating mga medalists sa Olympics?’” said the chief executive.

“Alam naman natin itong mga atleta, hindi lang ang kanilang sarili ang iniisip kung hindi pagandahin pa at mas maging maganda pa ang performance doon sa sports nila at sa buong sports ng Pilipinas,” he added.

Marcos believed that the 24-year-old gymnast would be “the best person” to ask about how they can boost the country’s chances of winning more Olympic medals, considering the challenges Yulo went through in his past games. This includes the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where he missed the medal round.

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“Para sa’kin, ang interes ko, dumami ang medalists kagaya niya. Anong kailangang gawin? Do we have to change the organizaiton? What needs to be funded?” the president said.

He continued, “I think he will continue to [reach] greater heights in sports dahil matagal na siyang world champion eh. Dapat yung Tokyo, dapat nanalo na siya eh, nadaga lang. Pero ngayon, nakita natin ang tunay niyang kakayahan.”

While he is the first to win two gold medals in a single Olympics, Yulo is the second Filipino athlete who clinched gold following weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo 2020.

Marcos congratulated Yulo twice for his historic win, stressing that the whole Filipino “stood united” and proud of him.

Currently, the Philippines has three medals, courtesy of Yulo and boxer Aira Villegas who won a bronze medal. Boxer Nesthy Petecio also gave the country another guaranteed Olympic medal as she advanced to the women’s 57kg semifinals.

More support for PH sports

Meanwhile, a House Resolution has been filed in the House of the Representatives, seeking more support for Filipino athletes by assessing and increasing the allocated budget for the country’s sports sector.

Through House Resolution 1877, lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc urged the lower house to assess the current allocation of funds and resources for sports programs, identify gaps in funding and support for athletes, develop strategies for the improvement of long-term sports development programs, and enhance infrastructure and training facilities.

They also called on several government agencies, specifically the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Department of Education (DepEd), to “prioritize and increase funding for grassroots sports development programs.”

The private sector, on the other hand, should support athletes through sponsorships and partnerships with sports organizations.

Under the proposed 2025 budget, only P725 million is allocated for the PSC, lower than its P1.156 billion funding in the 2024 budget.

The lawmakers also noted the minimal increase in the budget of the National Academy of Sports, which went up from P230.6 million funding under the 2024 budget to P253.3 million under the proposed 2025 budget.

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