Philippine Sports Institute top concern in six-year master plan, PSC chief says

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission will gather the best sporting minds in the country under one roof to craft the master plan for Philippine sports.
PSC Chair William “Butch’’ Ramirez said a series of consultative meetings would take place among the major stakeholders in sports with the formulation of a six-year program the ultimate objective in mind.

Efforts to rebuild the Philippine Sports Institute, a brainchild of former Chair and now athletics chief Philip Ella Juico and initially implemented by Ramirez during the Arroyo administration, will be a top priority.

“This meeting with the key stakeholders in sports will define, pinpoint and address the major issues that will confront us in the next six years,’’ said Ramirez.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr., chair Tom Carrasco, first vice president Joey Romasanta, second VP Jeff Tamayo and International Olympic Committee representative Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski will sit down with the PSC in a consultative meeting to be presided by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Ramirez.

Joining them in the Sept. 1 and 2 affair at Century Park Hotel in Manila are the Senate Committee on Sports led by chair Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Senators Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva and Gregorio Honasan as well as the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports headed by Rep. Conrado Estrella III.

Also invited are Juico, former PSC Chair Aparecio Mequi, Dr. Raul Canlas, Rain or Shine coach and former Pampanga Rep. Yeng Guiao, PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa, Michel Lhuillier of the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission, Edward Hayco of the Cebu City Sports Commission and Dr. Maria Luisa Guinto-Adviento of the UP College of Human Kinetics.

After this top-level consultative gathering, a national consultative meeting takes place with 753 officials representing 83 provinces, 141 cities, 491 municipalities, 19 Department of Education regional directors and 19 Department of Interior and Local Government regional directors expected to attend on Sept. 22 and 23 at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.