Puerto princesa: Puerto Princesa seeks to become the country's sports capital, a vision strengthened by its partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
According to Philippines News Agency, PSC chairman John Patrick Gregorio hailed Puerto Princesa's sports program as a model of excellence, driven by the dynamic leadership of Mayor Lucilo Bayron and his city officials. "The sports program of Puerto Princesa City is worth emulating by other LGUs. You are truly advanced in research, development, and implementation. Congratulations," Gregorio said in a news release Wednesday. "You already know the benefits of sports tourism to grassroots development and tourism contribution to the economy. Mayor Bayron is your No. 1 cheerleader."
The three-day Palawan Youth and Sports Summit, organized by the PSC, became a powerful forum where national sports leaders and experts converged to chart Puerto Princesa's trajectory toward becoming the country's sports capital. PSC and Puerto Princesa City leaders also visited the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, where a sprawling 20-hectare site donated by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, through its Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang, will become home to several sports facilities.
The PSC Regional Sports Complex will have a baseball diamond, softball field, football pitch, and a host of multi-sport facilities that will serve as the backbone of the city's regional sports hub. From there, the delegation proceeded to the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex, which has a gymnasium where athletes train in sepak takraw, boxing, tennis, badminton, table tennis, basketball, and combat sports such as wushu, taekwondo, and arnis.
The complex also has a track and field oval, football field, volleyball court, swimming pool, archery range, and baseball field. "Puerto Princesa is ready to lead. With PSC as our partner, we will build the future of Philippine sports here in Palawan," Bayron said, summing up the city's ambition.
The tour culminated with the awarding ceremony of the World Table Tennis Youth Contender at the Edward S. Hagedorn Coliseum, further solidifying the city's standing as a consistent hub for sports tourism. The Philippine Table Tennis Federation (PTTF), under the leadership of President Ting Ledesma and Secretary General Pong Ducanes, organized the event. In partnership with the PSC, the PTTF is set to launch a promising grassroots initiative to donate 240 table tennis tables to Filipino-Chinese schools nationwide.
On the final day, the delegation proceeded to the Philippine Paddling Federation's training center along the Iwahig River. Already recognized as a world-class paddling hub, the facility has become home to national athletes in dragon boat, canoeing, and kayaking. PSC Commissioners Matthew Gaston and Walter Torres, and Pilipinas Sepak Takraw Association President Karen Caballero also attended the summit.
