Silver milestone for PSC

PSC chairman Richie Garcia reminded the local sports community that the government agency is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and set three priority goals before his term ends in his speech as guest of honor at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night in 1 Esplanade, Pasay, last Monday.

Garcia is the ninth PSC chairman since the agency’s creation in 1990. The line of succession began with Cecil Hechanova then Perry Mequi, Mel Lopez, Popoy Juico, Butch Tuason, Eric Buhain, Butch Ramirez, Harry Angping and now, Garcia. A former national golfer, Garcia learned the PSC ropes as commissioner during the administration of both Presidents Estrada and Arroyo. His term ends when President Aquino steps down from Malacañang next year.

Because of his extensive background in sports, Garcia was the logical choice to take over the PSC chairmanship when President Aquino was elected in 2010. “I was a former athlete and I know the difficulties of training and the hard work that should be put into it,” he said. “But I also know the rewarding feeling in representing the country in international events.”

Not only was Garcia a national athlete in golf, he also served as Chef de Mission with the Philippine delegation at the Incheon Asian Games last year when the country brought home a single gold medal, courtesy of BMX cyclist Daniel Caluag.

“As a former member of a national sports association and head of a federation, I have experienced the complicated task of heading a group,” he said. “However, I also experienced the pleasing sight of our athletes excelling in their sport. I was also part of a private group helping in sports and I experienced the difficulties of certain government requirements. However, I felt the worthwhile feeling of carrying out my corporate social responsibility. I was a former commissioner and now, the head of the government sports agency. I have struggled in managing the limited funds of the agency to finance all the sports programs and the training needs of our national athletes.”

Garcia said in his long love affair with sports, he has come to understand the requirements and needs of athletes and coaches and knows what can and cannot be done for them. “I have experienced the ups and downs in the field of sports,” he noted. “I have no other goal but to uplift the state of our Filipino athletes. I know that this is not an overnight task to accomplish. But with a collaborative effort, with the help of sports officials, athletes and coaches, sportswriters, the government and private sector, we can fully achieve this aim.”

Before his term ends, Garcia said he will do three things:

First, enshrine the second batch of Sports Hall of Famers. Second, continue the implementation of the Sports For All and grassroots sports development programs. And third, facilitate the establishment of the National Training Center.

In May 2010, then-PSC chairman Angping organized the first induction of the Sports Hall of Fame at the Manila Hotel. Enshrined were Flash Elorde, Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, Cely Villanueva, Anthony Villanueva, Teofilo Yldefonso, Miguel White, Simeon Toribio, Caloy Loyzaga and the Philippine national basketball team that finished third at the 1954 FIBA World Championships in Rio de Janeiro. Only three from the 1954 squad attended the affair, namely, Tony Genato, Nap Flores and Florentino Bautista. The inductees received P100,000 each and members of the basketball team, P50,000 apiece.

As for the Sports For All and grassroots sports development programs, Garcia said the Philippine National Games and Batang Pinoy remain centrepiece projects. He also said the PSC will push for the Gender and Development Program with a focus on females, Laro’t Saya Sa Parke Program to make sports accessible to the public and the Senior Citizens Program.

The main item in Garcia’s agenda is to facilitate the finalization of the planned construction of the National Training Center in Clark, Pampanga. “The current training facility of our athletes, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, is already old,” he said. “Some of the training facilities need to be rehabilitated and repaired. It is not spared from floods when typhoons hit the Metro. It is situated in one of the busy streets in Manila. Clark will address all of these concerns. It is just appropriate to transfer the athletes’ training area to a much more favorable place. Our neighboring countries have centers which house sports training facilities and dormitories for their athletes. We want our Filipino athletes to have an area where they will have all the things they need. We want our athletes to feel important and valued. With the support of our legislators from the House of Representatives and the Senate, we are very optimistic that we can finalize the plan this year.”

Garcia said he only has the welfare of athletes in mind in whatever he does. “I may not get the support of all sectors in my endeavors,” he said. “Others may throw criticism at me but I know, in the future, they will see and realize the worth of all of these.”