PHOTO CAPTION (L-R) PSC Acting Deputy Executive Director of Bureau on Coordinating Secretariat and Support Services Anna Christine Abellana, Deputy Executive Director of Bureau on Administrative, Finance, and Management Services Merlita Ibay, BSC Commissioner (Basilan) Yushoup Sario, PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., Commissioner (Tawi-Tawi) Abdulkhabir Musa, Commissioner (Lanao del Sur) Arsalan Diamaoden, Commissioner (Sulu) Adzhar Tingkahan, BSC Executive Director Salihwardi Alba and BSC Sports Consultant Emmanuel Rene Ayo during their courtesy visit at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila
MANILA, Philippines–More promising athletes from a variety of sports are bound to be discovered in the country’s Bangsamoro region.
The Bangsamoro Sports Commission will be moving toward that direction as it forged a partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission on Tuesday for sports to flourish in Muslim Mindanao.
BSC Chairperson Nu-man Caludtiag said they would benefit from the collaborative effort with the PSC in the quest of the newly formed regional sports agency to enhance its programs in the Bangsamoro area.
“Our vision is to hone talents and discover children living in our region who have the potential to be good at sports,’’ said Caludtiag during the BSC board’s courtesy visit to PSC Chairman William Ramirez at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“The BSC is still a work in progress and our partnership with the PSC will help us implement our mandate effectively, which is to promote sports and institutionalize sports programs, among others,’’ added Caludtiag.
Also present during the signing of BSC-PSC agreement were BSC Commissioners Arsalan Diamaoden representing Lanao del Sur, Abdulkhari Musa from Tawi-Tawi, Yushoup Sario from Basilan and Adzhar Tingkahan of Sulu.
Besides its inclination to develop combat sports, the BSC is looking at extreme sports, chess, volleyball, badminton, pencak silat, sepak takraw, shooting and swimming as among the sports where the region should focus on.
“The fastest way to produce an Olympian in the region is through open water swimming,’’ said Ramirez. “The children there are strong and sturdy and given the opportunity to compete in an ordinary pool, you’ll be surprised how fast they could swim.’’
The BSC is the policy-making and coordinating body of all amateur sports development programs and institutions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and was created on Sept. 17, 2020 through the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 12 or the “Bangsamoro Sports Commission Act of 2020.’’
“Our commission is here to foster and cement a strong and solid linkage with one of the country’s formidable institutions—the PSC. Our goals and passion to build interest and develop Filipino sports is very similar,’’ said Caludtiag.
“Just as the PSC, the BSC is committed to transforming the Bangsamoro people into a healthy citizenry through various commendable sports development programs,’’ added Caludtiag.
PSC and BSC top executives also conducted a tree-planting activity at RMSC which will stand as a symbol of friendship and stronger relationships in the future.
Joining Ramirez were PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram, PSC executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., deputy executive director Merlita Ibay, acting deputy executive director Anna Christine Abellana and PSC chief of staff Marc Edward Velasco.