Manila: Chairperson John Patrick Gregorio will be honored as Executive of the Year in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night on Feb. 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 58-year-old former hotelier and sports executive under the MVP Group will join gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo and tennis player Alexandra Eala, who will receive the Male and Female Athletes of the Year awards, respectively. Gregorio, a proud alumnus of the University of the Philippines, has accomplished numerous achievements since his appointment as PSC chief on July 1, 2025.
Under Gregorio's leadership, the PSC approved an across-the-board increase of PHP5,000 to the monthly allowances of national athletes and coaches. Additionally, the track and field ovals at the Rizal Memorial Complex, Philsports, and the Teachers Camp in Baguio were opened to the public. The PSC also supported major international tournaments such as the FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship, the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, and the FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup.
Gregorio, who previously served as PBA chairman and president of the Philippine Rowing Association, was named head of the National Sports Tourism-Interagency Committee. This committee was responsible for staging the Philippine Women's Open, the country's first WTA 125 event, where Eala was the main attraction in her first major tournament.
During Gregorio's tenure, significant renovations were made at the Rizal Memorial Complex, including improvements to the tennis center, baseball pitch, media conference room, the Philsports track oval, and training facilities in Baguio. As a former POC secretary general, he ensured a harmonious working relationship between the government sports agency and the country's Olympic governing body, identified grassroots talent outside of Metro Manila, and ensured continuity in sports development initiatives.
Before his appointment to the PSC, Gregorio played a pivotal role in organizing the return of the Tour of Luzon under the firm DuckWorld Philippines. His previous accolades include being named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in 2003 for Tourism Management, serving as the first executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the secretary general of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), and executive vice president of the MVP Sports Foundation.
