News from interaksyon tv 5 Senator Pia Cayetano on Thursday threatened to recommend no allocation in the national budget for the

Philippine Sports Commission because of her displeasure with the agency over the selection of athletes for the Southeast Asian Games. Cayetano, an outspoken critic of the PSCs criteria for sending athletes to the games, added that filing charges against agencys officials is a possibility. Expect zero budget allocation for PSC and possible filing of administrative charges against PSC officials for the latters failure to supervise and sanction national sports associations which prevented some of the countrys outstanding athletes from competing in the Southeast Asian Games, Cayetano said. Aside from its allocation in the national budget, the PSC also receives millions in remittances from the Philippine Gaming Corporation. Subsidy to the commission this year has reached P504 million as of September 2013, according to the PAGCOR website, Cayetano said. She asked the chamber to defer deliberations on the PSCs budget as she mulls the effect of such a move. In conscience, I have a difficulty recommending a zero budget because at the end of the day, its the athletes who will suffer, she said. I ask that this budget be deferred while I am making up my mind, and it will include the filing of cases against officials who are not doing their job. During the session, Cayetano narrated a litany of the PSCs shortcomings when it comes to dealing with athletes, NSAs, and the Philippine Olympic Committee. We raise the case of one of the swimmers, Denjylie Cordero, who is multi-awarded and has a very good shot at getting a silver or probably a gold [at the SEA Games] and yet, is not in the line-up because of differences between her father and the former president of the swimming association, who is also a former deputy secretarygeneral of the POC, said Cayetano. I want to hear from PSC: How in the world did personal differences become the basis for not including a swimmer, who has the potential of winning the gold, in the line-up? The 18-year-old Cordero broke the countrys 10-year-old record for womens 50-meter breaststroke last September at the UAAP swimming championships. She also raised the plight of the Philippine dragon boat team that will not be competing in the SEA Games in Myanmar. Picture this: They beat world powers in Europe. Umiiyak yung mga kababayan natin because for the first time, bida ang Pilipinas. This is the world championships. And yet in a months time, we will not have a Philippine dragon boat team in the Southeast Asian Games, she said. Pang-world champion tayo pero hindi tayo pang-Southeast Asian Games, bakit? Because the coach of the dragon boat team decides that the whole team is unfit? Or has committed certain violations that are unacceptable so she disbanded the whole team?

And PSC and POC wont do anything about it. Ayaw pala ng coach. Therefore, lets not send our world champions to the Southeast Asian Games. Lets just tell the Senate that we have no say in this because the NSA has the final say. Cayetano countered an argument from the PSC that it was powerless to do anything about the matter, citing Section 11 of Republic Act No. 6847 (The Philippine Sports Commission Act), which lists the agencys authority over NSAs. Para saan pa itong Section 11 on powers of the commission to exercise supervisory and visitorial powers of the NSA. What do we do with this provision if they will just tell us that they cannot do anything? she asked. I mean, think about it: I can imagine if the NSA suspended just one member, two members, even the team captain, but to suspend the whole team? What did you do to exercise your supervisory and visitorial powers? What did you do? Please tell me how that was exercised? These two incidents clearly tell us that PSC, under our current laws, is not doing its job. Yes, I can amend the law, and I will do that. I will strip PSC of so many of its powers. But for this budget, I am torn between asking the body to defer the budget while I think about a zero budget. Sports hub Philstar MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia stressed the need to increase his agencys budget to improve the athletes lot and provide them with necessary facilities for training. Garcia, who was guest in last Thursdays SCOOP Sa Kamayan On Air, also expressed the need for the construction of a national training center to replace the 80-year-old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, adding that the countrys and Asias first stadium has outlived its usefulness. To build a new stadium, however, as well as providing our athletes adequate international standard training equipment to prepare them for international competitions, we need more money, Garcia said during the program . We have money, yes, not enough to fund our athletes preparation for international competitions like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympic Games, he said in reference to the P700 million to P800 million annual budget the PSC is receiving from the General Appropriations Act, Pagcor and other sources. The results of the just-concluded SEA Games once again showed the insufficient training of our athletes due to the lack of a training center equipped with modern equipment as well as the superiority of their peers from our neighboring countries who have been provided with modern facilities we, unfortunately lack, he emphasized. That is why we will be appealing to our lawmakers for an increase in financial requirements when the hearing for next years budget is conducted, Garcia, a golfer and former director of the National Golf Association of the Philippines, said.

Besides the PSCs allotment from the GAA, Garcia said the board of commissioners will be seeking the help of the private sectors and look for assistance from other countries where his agency has an exchange sports program. We will also be looking on how the PSC can recover the almost 50 percent it lost from its share of the Pagcor annual income, he said, referring to a provision in the Republic Act 6847, otherwise known as the PSC Law granting the agency five percent of Pagcors gross income. For several years now, the five percent of Pagcors gross income had been reduced to five percent of the gaming agencys net income that took effect during the administration of President Ramos. If we can revert to the old provision, which has not been repealed in the first place, it will help us start construction of a national training center, the PSC top honcho said. It saddened me seeing countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and even former war-torn nations like Laos and Myanmar already have international standard venue, while the Philippines which has the distinction of building Asias first stadium has none, Garcia lamented. Garcia said the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, which was constructed in connection with the countrys hosting of the 10th and last edition of the 1934 Far Eastern Games, forerunner of the now Asian Games, is no longer an ideal place as training venue of athletes. Its already antiquated, besides being so polluted with many distractions hinderng athletes training, he said. Ive seen so many athletes from the province who have respiratory problems after being only a week at the Rizal Memorial. We also have apprehended several athletes engaging in drugs even while inside the complex. This is not the right place to house our athletes, much less use this as their training venue, Garcia said. News from interaksyon tv 5 Pia Cayetano expressed support for Filipino athletes competing in the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, even as she lambasted sports officials for its handling of the buildup to the competition. I wish all our athletes competing in the 27th SEA Games the best of luck. I know that they will do their best and vie for the gold to bring honor to our country and people, she said. What we lack in funding, modern training facilities and, sad to say, competent and forward-thinking sports officials, our athletes make up for with their courage, skills and commitment to fight for our flag. She had strong words, however, for officials of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, alleging that politics tainted the selection process of the countrys delegation to the biennial meet. In contrast, I cannot hide my disgust with the leadership of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee for their gross mishandling of our athletes and sports program. This includes the selection process for the national lineup, which was hobbled with questions and controversy, she added.

I mourn the wasted talents of some of our outstanding athletes who will not be suiting up for the SEA Games due to the shortsightedness of the PSC and POC. Athletes who were excluded from the national team, like the Philippine Dragon Boat Team who are world champions, and young swimmer Denjylie Cordero, who recently broke a decade-old national record, were victims of politicking by sports officials whose actions are condoned instead of being sanctioned by the PSC and POC. Emil noguera the manila times Its been a long time since the Philippines made a podium finish in the Olympic Gamesthe most prestigious multisporting event considered as the greatest show on earth. It was in 1996 when Mansueto Onyok Velasco won a silver medal in the boxing competitions of the quadrennial meet in Atlanta in United States (US). After that, it was all downhill. In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, the Philippines had 20 competitors in nine disciplines but failed to win a single medal. Filipinos also did not get a single medal in succeeding games in 2004 in Athens, Greece with 16 athletes in six sports, in 2008 in Beijing, China with 15 athletes in eight sports, and in 2012 in London, England with 11 athletes in eight sports. According to former senator Nikki Coseteng, such poor showing was a result of lack of foreign exposures and inadequate training because of insufficient budget compounded by the long-time bickering of sports officials. When asked to describe the current state of Philippine sports, Coseteng quickly replied messy, magulo! I think it is messy because our structures for the development of Philippine sports are very weak, in some areas invisible, in some areas underdeveloped and in some other areas, very well supported, in other fields almost, even totally unavailable. Thats one of the reasons why its messy, she said. The Philippines has yet to win a gold medal since joining the Games in 1924. It has nine medals overall, two silvers (from boxing) and seven bronzes (three from boxing, two each in athletics and swimming). Among Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines is ranked fourth in terms of medal production in the Olympics. Thailand has already secured seven golds, six silvers and 11 bronzes while Indonesia got six golds, 10 silvers and 11 bronzes, and Malaysia earned three silvers and three bronzes. Singapore claimed two silvers and two bronzes while Vietnam had two silvers. Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and East Timor never won a single medal. I dont think the Philippine government knows exactly or understands or appreciates the need for a logical, well-funded and corruption free, politics-free sports development program, Coseteng said. In the Southeast Asian Games, the Philippines made history by winning its first-ever overall championship title when it hosted the 2005 edition. The Filipinos won a total of 112 golds, 84 silvers and 94 bronzes. However, they saw their plinth crumbling as the Philippines dropped to a horrible sixth-place finish with a measly 41-gold, 91-silver and 96-bronze medal output in the 2007 Thailand Games, then placed fifth in the 2009 Laos Games (38-gold, 35-silver, 51-bronze) and sixth anew in the 2011 Indonesia Games (36-gold, 56-silver, 77-bronze). Lack of government support Coseteng said the government, through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), must create a strong and well-funded sports

development program as part of the long-term goal towards achieving sports excellence in the future. Why is it that the government funding resource is coming from casino money to support sports? Unang-una, sabi natin sa mga tao huwag kayo magsusugal kasi kapag nalubog kayo sa sugal kayamanan ninyo mauubos. Kung wala nang magsusugal, wala nang pondo para sa training ng mga atleta? Theres already something initially wrong with that, she said. Coseteng stressed the need for a massive grassroots development in collaboration with other government units such as the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education and other sectors. Among them are the annual Palarong Pambansa, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association not to mention other regional competitions taking place in some rural areas. Lack of facilities She also mentioned the urgency to create sports facilities, stadiums and athletes and coaches quarters. Thailand has 68 stadiums with the National Stadium in Bangkok as the biggest that can accommodate 65,000 people. It also has stadiums with 30,000 seating capacities and 12 with 20,000 to 25,000 seating capacities. Vietnam has 37 stadiums like the 40,000-seater My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi and 13 more with 20,000 to 28,000 seating capacities while in Singapore, there are 21 stadiums including the 55,000-seater National Stadium and the 30,000-seater Marina Bay Floating Platform. Another problem of Philippine sports is the facilities. From the time I was born up to today, yung Rizal Memorial Sports Complex pa rin ang ginagamit. Gumagawa ng settlements sa Cogeo, Montalban pero walang sports complex. How do the athletes, coaches and trainers quarters look? Coseteng said. The Rizal Memorial Stadium was built in 1934 and was used in hosting the 1954 Asian Games and the 1981, 1991 and 2005 Southeast Asian Games. It can accommodate a maximum of 20,000 people. The Mall of Asia Arena and the Araneta Coliseum are the other notable venues in the Philippines. In Bocaue, Bulacan, the Philippine Arena and a sports complex, owned by religious group, Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), are under construction. The INC earlier announced that the complex will be open to any public concerts and sports gatherings. We have to have our own training facilities for athletes, yung talagang maituturing na para talaga sa mga atleta, para sa training nila, Coseteng said. In 2010, the PSC envisioned to create a training center for some 600 members of the national pool in the sprawling government-owned lot at the Clark Development Zone in Angeles City as the 10-hectare Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is already congested and is not suitable for the training of the athletes. Budgetary constraints remain the main problem in making such plan a reality. The former lawmaker also underscored the need to involve and educate parents and coaches as a springboard to honing young potential athletes. Sports is often trivialized. From the way the parents think ay yung mga pumapasok sa sports mahihina utak nyan eh, ganun kaagad ang iniisip ng tao. Unless Manny Pacquiao ka. Hindi na pinaguusapan ang utak dito. Bakit hindi? Kung Manny Pacquiao ka, utak pa rin ang pinag-uusapan. Bakit? Matindi yung utak niya eh. Kasi kung hindi ka marunong paano ka iiwas sa mga suntok ng kalaban eh one fraction of a second kung mag-iisip ka pa kasi mahina utak mo, durog na ang bungo mo, durog na mukha mo. Corruption Coseteng said corruption is a serious matter in sports. In fact, a

number of sports officials have pending cases in the Office of the Ombudsman including swimming official Mark Joseph, former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation chief Efraim Genuino and former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez for allegedly misusing some P30 million government fund. We filed [a case against Mark Joseph and Genuino] in June of 2011 I think. Its already July 2013 and we are hoping that it can be now elevated so that they will face these charges. We want a healthy citizenry but a big chunk of the money going to sports is going to the pockets of sports officials. Thats very disheartening, she said. The justice system plays a major role in, at least, minimizing corruption in the country. The wheel of justice must turn fast and efficiently so that people will know that it is serious. And to protect government funds, the authorities must implement strict guidelines in giving financial support, she added. You can address corruption in two ways. One, use the law so that justice is going to be served at the soonest possible time. Two, choose the right people. Sports authorities in the Philippines are busy trying to protect their turfs, remain in office like kapit-linta, even when we are pinupulot sa kangkungan [in international tournaments], she stressed. Section 8 of the PSC Law states that the commission should be composed of a chairman and four commissioners, all of whom should be appointed by the President of the nation while the other officials including those from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and National Sports Association (NSA) are to be selected based on their respective elections. The POC is mandated to have an election every Olympic year while the NSAs schedule of election is based on the associations constitution and by-laws. Coseteng cited the Philippine Tae Kwon Do Association led by its president Sun Chong Hong as a good example of an NSA. Disenteng patakbo lang ang ginagawa ni Mr. Hong. Tae kwon do is one of a kind. Theres no other NSA like tae kwon do because he is running it the way a sports association should be ran. He can raise the money himself, hes decent, she said. The national tae kwon do team has been a constant medal producer in some international competitions including the World Championships, Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games. Mary Antoinette Rivero reached the semi-finals of the 2004 Athens Olympics but, unfortunately, absorbed a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to hometown bet Elisavet Mystakidou. Support from private sectors is also important. It would have been enough to encourage the athletes to give their best in winning medals. As an organization, we really need funding especially from the private sectors. Government must also be able to recognize who are contributing to the good of sports and who are only there because they want to get rich. Malaki rin ang part ng media parang chicken and egg situation yan e. Kinokober ng media ang basketball, lahat ng mga negosyante nagbibigay ng pera para sa basketball, kasi nandun ang media coverage. Bihira naman ang negosyante or bihira ang tao na gagastos ng pera tapos konti lang ang coverage. Sana mabuksan na ang mga mata ng mga negosyante, malalaking business para lalo nilang payamanin yung mga nasa baba tulad ng athletics, track and field, archery, yung mga sports na hindi kailangang maging seven-footer. Basketball, being the sport predominantly loved by millions of Filipinos, has the most number of air time as well as those sports with good-looking, head-turner players like football and volleyball. Olympic dream The government must pour in a huge chunk of its resources for this undertaking. It includes the training of athletes as well as sending

them to various overseas stints for exposures. But then, there is still the equally important grassroots program. The PSC has revived the Philippine National Games, Batang Pinoy and other sporting events in an effort to discover fresh talents. Coseteng said the training of an athlete must start as early as possible. You are going to be competing against athletes who started sports training at the age of two or three. Kailangan habang bata tinututukan na. She named combat sports as the possible source of medal in the Olympics. Dapat dun tayo magfocus sa mga sports na may weight category like tae kwon do, boxing, meron ka talagang malaking chance dyan, Coseteng said. The PSC has named 10 focus sports which enjoy full support from the government. They are boxing, tae kwon do, athletics, swimming, wushu, archery, wrestling, bowling, weightlifting and billiards. Only billiards, bowling and wushu are the non-Olympic sports in the list. Athletes from the 10 focus sports will be trained abroad. In line with this, the government sports agency renewed its agreement with the sports ministries of China, Australia and other European countries. The US has also been tapped to provide assistance and technology to the Filipino athletes. Phil News The mother of Michael Christian Martinez, the lone Philippine representative to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics revealed to the media that they got no support from the Philippine government which is contrary to the report posted by PhilStar. According to the mother of Michael Martinez, the athlete got no support from the Philippine government as reported by CatholicRegister.org last January 2014, quoting the mother of the figure skater that their sponsor is a private corporation and not the Philippine government. The controversial issue came to the limelight after a Facebook post from a certain Pablo Hernandez went viral on Facebook on February 10, 2014. Aside from the post on Facebook, the post is also shared in various social networking sites. Michael Christian Martinez is the lone representative of the 2014 Winter Olympics currently held in Sochi, Russia attended by more 88 countries and territories from various parts of the world. 2013 Nebelhorn trophy competition held in Oberstdorf, Germany, wherein he ranked fifth in the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. In a report posted by CatholicRegister.com, the mother of Michael Christian Martinez revealed that his sons lone sponsor is SM Mall, owner of the only two ice skating rinks in the Philippines. The company gave Martinez more than $22,000 while the Philippine Skating Union also supported with $11,000 amount. With regards to the support of the Philippine government, the mother of Michael Martinez was quoted I dont even think anyone at the presidents office knows theres a Filipino skating in the Olympics, said Teresa Martinez, who said she has written the office several times asking for help. The mother of Michael Martinez, Teresa revealed further that My house is mortgaged. Its crazy investment, she said. According to Teresa Martinez, their family farm was hit hard by the recent typhoon, right now they have received financial backings from their family, friends and even strangers, mostly FilipinoAmericans. Netizens have reacted negatively with the recent expose that the lone Philippine representative to the Winter Olympics in Sochi got no backings from the Philippine government.

Last month, supporters from a zumba group in the US, Michaels Metro Ice skating club and another local club in the Philippines, some of his FB friends, and ShoeMart helped raise funds for his preSochi training. The POC is also looking for a private sponsor to add to the warchest while the Philippine Sports Commission could only commit US$7,200. NATASHYA GUTIERREZ MANILA, Philippines - The Olympics have come and gone and yet again, the Philippines has failed to rank among the world's best. For the fourth Olympics in a row, Filipino athletes were unable to take home a medal of any color for the country, the last having been boxer Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco who won a silver in Atlanta in 1996. In over 20 Olympic Games since 1924, the Philippines has won a dismal 9 medals -- 2 silvers and 7 bronzes. This record is only one medal more than the record 8 medals won by the Philippines' neighboring country Thailand in one Olympics. Only in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics did the country win more than one medal in the Games. In LA, the Philippines won 3 bronze medals in 3 different sports -- athletics, boxing and swimming. Exactly 90 years later, the LA Games is still the most successful Olympics the country has ever had, with the state of sports in the Philippines having appeared to worsen rather than improve over the decades. In the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, the Philippines came out on top, besting its 10 other neighbors and bagging 281 medals. By 2011, the Philippines finished a dismal 6th of 11, with its measly 169-medal haul. So what is the matter with Philippine sports? No vision Filipinos love sports. The whole country joins Manny Pacquiao when he gets in the ring. The Philippines fell in love with football quickly and hard when the Azkals came along. And there is a basketball court in practically every barangay across the nation. We aren't short on passion, and neither do we lack talent. So what is it that is making us fail so miserably? Just two days after the end of the Games, Sen Francis Pangilinan pushed for a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). The PSC is the government's funding arm primarily tasked with helping the development of amateur sports in the country, while the POC is a private, non-government related organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole agency in the Philippines responsible for athletes competing in the Olympics and other international competitions. "Representing the country is a huge undertaking. We must prepare our athletes for the pressure of competing on a global scale and do all that we can to provide them the necessary tools and skills to ensure victory," Pangilinan said in a statement.

"Sending delegates to international competition is akin to sending diplomats to foreign countries. There are certain minimum standards that we must always strive to achieve if we want the rest of the world to take us seriously in sports," he added. The nation shows no hesitation in pointing their fingers at one direction when it comes to the country's failure in sports: most feel the government is to blame. Sports analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz agrees with Pangilinan. Food, training, vision Nathanielsz, who has been covering Philippine sports since 1963, emphasized the need for a holistic approach to athlete preparation that would make them competitive in the world stage. Aside from the right training, he pointed to the need for proper diet and psychological readiness -- all of which work together to enhance performance. "Our athletes, we lack nutrition, we lack physical and mental conditioning," he told Rappler. "How can you be mentally strong if you're not physically strong? We don't have training facilities. There's no effort to develop these." Effort, he maintained, comes from vision. The lack of it from the government is the main problem, said Nathanielsz, who knows sports just isn't a priority of the country. Not since Fidel V. Ramos has there been a president that has given much attention on sports. Ramos, a sports lover and practicioner, signed Executive Orders 63 and 64 that mandated the creation of Physical, Fitness and Sports Development Councils (PFSDC) to promote physical education and sports programs and competitions on a national scale. It was also during his term that the Philippines last won an Olympic medal. Then PSC chairman Phillip Ella Juico has since said that Ramos instructed the PSC to pull out all stops to back the Philippine Olympic team. Presidents after Ramos have put little emphasis on sports, which has shown in the Philippine team's results at international competitions. "With all due respect to President Aquino, he's not a sportsman," said Nathanielsz. "He's not athletic." Not a priority According to Garcia, budget proposals from the country's 53 national sports associations (NSA) that year alone reached P600 million. In comparison, according to the Singapore government website, Singapore received a total budget of P7.4 billion for sports alone in 2011. Singapore has a population of 5 million while the Philippines is a country of 90 million. Although Singapore is not a major world player in sports, the recent investment of the government in sports has paid off. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the country nabbed its second Olympic medal in history, its first as an independent nation after 48 years, when the women's table tennis team took home the silver.

In London 2012, Singapore did not only double their medal count from 2008 after winning 2 bronze medals also in women's table tennis, it also marked the first time it took home a medal in two consecutive Olympics. Singapore sent 23 athletes to compete in 9 different sports, compared to the Philippines' 11-man delegation in 8 sports despite having 18 times more people. Questionable leadership The lack of government prioritization appears to perpetuate yet another problem: destructive politics among sports agencies. Accusations of mishandled funds and power struggles between heads of NSAs, the PSC and the POC have been widespread for years. A recent clash illustrates the problem perfectly. Not long ago, NSA chiefs butted heads with ex-PSC chairman Harry Angping, after the former failed to report to the PSC and liquidate millions of pesos in advances, which resulted in NSAs having to face the court. The POC allegedly led a movement to take Angping out of power and put Garcia in position, which has opened up a controversial POC-PSC partnership. Today, numerous NSAs have still not been able to adequately liquidate financial assistance they received from the government. Garcia himself has also reportedly admitted he became chairman because of POC chief Peping Cojuangco. As dirty as politics are in sports, the worst part is this: athletes have been caught in the middle of such disputes, with some being deprived of financial support or being barred from competing in international competitions, as was the case with the Philippine Dragonboat Team controversy. And the administration has failed -- or perhaps chosen to turn a blind eye -- on holding anyone accountable. Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas, who heads what many believe is the most successful NSA in the country, told Rappler that one of the major problems pulling sports down is leadership and widespread politics. "[After the Olympics], they come out with excellent programs and ideas until one month from today when it all subsides then we're all back to politics -- elections of new NSA heads, elections of POC, then back to PSC -- and I bet you that's what's going to happen," he said. "There is politics in sports and it's very strong... they [the leadership] use the same political savvy to stay in office. They use political names, they use their own clout to stay in office." Vargas refused to mention names but said he wished that leaders had the decency to resign when needed -- as he said he would, if someone felt they could do a better job than him -- and suggested a sort of revamp. He cited the need for new leaders with fresh ideas, and said that blaming NSAs completely for the failure of their athletes misses the larger picture. Accountability, he said, starts on top, and there should be more of it among sports leaders in the NSAs, the PSC and the POC. He emphasized that it doesn't take a couple of years to build an

Olympian, and that the country should start planning longterm if it was serious about succeeding in sports. "At the end of the day, even if you do make it a priority, it's leadership. We should be accountable for what we do," Vargas said. "We're all saying the same things, the problem is it boils down to leadership. It's execution. Who can execute it better? It takes a whole community to do that -- POC, PSC, NSAs, government, private sector and the athlete." He added, "It's true when they say there's no space for politics in sports." Athletes' woes Athletes themselves agree that there is still much that the government and sports agencies have left to do. Olympic swimmer Jessie Lacua told Rappler he wishes the country had facilities like those of Singapore, where swimmers also enjoy strong support from the government and good coaches, while his co-swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi admitted before going to London, that it has been a difficult journey because of the country's limited resources. "We are trying to make the most out of what we got, but I think we should build up more centers like the sports facilities in Laguna, where you can train and go to school so you can focus on sport," she said. POC president Cojuangco, who has been in his position for almost 8 years, is aware there is still much to be done. In an email, he told Rappler he is working closely with the PSC and know that athletes need better nutrition including vitamins and supplements, and a training center where athletes can be quartered, fed and supervised by coaches. However, he stressed that rather than a review of the POC and PSC tenets, what needs change is the lack of government support. "What is needed to be revised is the value that the government will give to sport. Sports is not only winning of medals but also an integral part of growing our citizens properly," he said, citing the lack of budget allotted to sports. "Like in every international competition that we participate in we have these so called 'experts' criticizing our performance without giving any positive suggestions. What they propose is always for change but they never mention what kind of change is necessary. I hope we can finally make a decision on what we want to do with our sports. The importance that we will give to it in respect to our way of life." Looking for change Beyond the sorry state of sports in the nation, the good news is that some government officials are aware of the problem, and appears to have had enough. Aside from Pangilinan, various politicians have shown an interest in prioritizing sports. In June, Sen Antonio Trillanes IV, chairman of the Senate Committee for Sports, pushed to abolish the PSC under Senate Bill 3092, which seeks to create the Department of Sports.

Trillanes wants the head of the sports department to have a cabinet member position, as close to the President as possible, to help prioritize sports development and influence his decisions. He also looks to create an Amateur Sports Development Bureau committed to grassroots initiatives and another bureau to focus on athletes' training for international meets. Triathlete and Sen Pia Cayetano as well as Aurora Rep Sonny Angara, have also continued to throw their support behind a bill that aims to construct a Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS), which will offer outstanding student-athletes scholarships and athletic and academic development. Angara is one of 28 co-authors of the bill that is close to becoming a law. During Aquino's 2012 State of the Nation Address, Cayetano told Rappler that she cannot really say she has seen significant improvements in sports since Aquino took power. "I think it is high time that government starts seriously supporting sports programs," she said. "Naninwala ako na kung talagang bigyan nating pansin and sports, maraming malalayo sa drugs, maraming makakatapos sa college (I believe that if we truly prioritize sportsm many will be veered away from drugs, many will finish college)." Cayetano also admitted that the government lacks vision on where it wants to see sports go. "If we just had a better plan for this, there are so many more youths to help and we can be competitive internationally," she said. Private funding So far, one thing that Aquino has implemented in the field of sports is focus on disciplines that Filipinos excel in and are most likely to produce Olympic champions. He has committed P200 million to what is coined the 'focus sports policy.' Given the directive to choose, the PSC selected 10 sports to focus on and fund: archery, athletics, billiards, bowling, boxing, taekwondo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu. While it sacrifices other sports somewhat, most experts agree this is the best solution given the country's limited resources. The men's Philippine basketball team coach, Chot Reyes, said he thinks it is a good idea, even if basketball is not part of the 10 disciplines given government priority. Reyes knows that basketball is a different beast altogether, and that even without government support, it can survive, as it should, he said, because of its popularity and the passion of Filipinos towards it. But he also insisted that other sports could work towards achieving the same status. According to Reyes, a sport's popularity or lack of funding should not be a detriment in an NSA's desire to develop it. While it is ideal that the government financially backs sports development in the country, he encouraged sports heads to look at private sectors and find funding elsewhere, citing the Azkals as the perfect example. "For the other sports, my thinking is, do your job, don't just complain," he said, pointing to the quick development of the previously ignored sport of football, after the Philippine Football Federation looked for outside funds, brought in a new manager, recruited players and built up their program.

Now, he said, football is a sport many private entities are eager to finance. "The NSAs who get their act together and get their job done are able to do wonders for their sport," he said. Vargas agreed with Reyes, saying that part of ABAP's success -which has been named NSA of the year several times -- is largely due to his agency's individual efforts in developing grassroots programs. He said their 3-year-old grassroots efforts, largely funded by private sectors, were responsible for producing the 2012 Philippine Olympic team's biggest name: Mark Anthony Barriga. Pinoy pride When the Philippine Olympic delegation came home to the Philippines, most Filipinos did not even know they were back. There was no fanfare, no heroes welcome, no celebration. This lack of praise is telling of the minimal value given to sports by the Philippine government, one that will continue unless the administration decides to prioritize sports development. Politicians and sports leaders understand the need for a clearer vision for sports -- the importance of grassroots initiatives, accountability, new institutions to focus on athletic development, and increased funding. They know political bickering is dragging down the ability of sports to progress, and that athletes are suffering. They know what's wrong, they know what to do, but the question is, will they do it?