Photo Release

Strengthening the grassroots sports program: Sen. Pia Cayetano seeks a clearer picture of the country’s grassroots sports program as the Finance Subcommittee F deliberates on the budget of the Philippine Sports Authority (PSA), Monday, October 10, 2022. During the Senate hybrid hearing, Cayetano asked Philippine Sports Authority (PSA) chairperson Noli Eala for the accomplishment reports of each National Sports Association (NSA) to determine whether the budget they received commensurated with the output of their sports programs. According to the PSA report, the top NSAs that received the most financial support were the Philippine Paralympic Committee, Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, Samahan ng Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, Philippine Track and Field Association, Philippine Taekwondo Association, Philsilat Sports Association, Inc., Philippine Karatedo Federation, National Golf Association of the Philippines, Philippine Swimming Inc., and Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation, Inc. “What are the grassroots program and are the programs effective? It has to be comparative because these are the sports associations funded by the government… I know that sport is a long game. I don’t need an Olympian tomorrow. I don’t need an Olympian next year. But I want to see if this (producing Olympians) is their long-term plan,” Cayetano said. (Screengrab / Senate PRIB)