When Patrick Gregorio took over the helm of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in July 2025, he immediately hit the ground running; stepped into a familiar role that has been his bread and butter almost half of his career.
Sports has been his life after having worked with the corporate world. He was the former president of Philippine Rowing Association, Chairman of the Board of the PBA, Executive board member of the SBP and Co Chef the Mission for the Philippine delegation to 2024 Paris Olympics.
The country is fresh from a run of unprecedented Olympic success, the country needed a leader who could translate medals into institutional reform and sustainable development.
Gregorio, a seasoned sports executive, wasted no time in laying out his comprehensive roadmap built on three foundational pillars: enhancing athlete welfare,professionalizing governance and facilities, and promoting a healthy citizenry through sports tourism.
“Please refrain from calling me Honorable, I prefer and more comfortable to be called with my nickname Pato” said the current PSC Chairman in his guesting at the Davao Sportswriter’s Association weekly forum last Thursday October 9 at the SM Ecoland in Davao City.
Recognizing that stipends of athletes and coaches were below the minimum wage, Gregorio immediately ordered an across-the-board increase of P5,000 in allowances, effective August 2025. His earliest and arguably most celebrated move.
This was more than just a monetary adjustment but also a psychological boost, fulfilling his vow that the PSC’s doors would never be closed to those who sacrifice for the flag.A direct commitment to the people who matter most: the national athletes and coaches.
“This year’s delegation to the SEA Games is the biggest in history; 1600 athletes and officials will represent the country. I removed the restriction that only athletes that match the standard of bronze in previous outing will go to the games; C’mon this is the nearest competition for our grassroots athletes, why denied it to them.” Gregorio added.
The individual NSAs will set their own standards and police themselves to assure that deserving athletes will be sent to Bangkok, Thailand this December.
Gregorio’s vision for the PSC is distinctly national and regional. Central to this is unlocking the country’s sports potential outside of Manila. He is actively working with Local Government Units (LGUs) across the country to establish regional training centers built around the “Adopt a Sport” philosophy. He cites the success of Zamboanga in weightlifting, Ilocos Sur in Archery, Bacolod and Ilolilo for football. This approach ensures that resources are concentrated where local talent naturally thrives, creating specialized hubs and completing what he terms the “sports value chain.”
Gregorio’s background in the tourism is fueling his third pillar: utilizing sports for economic growth and public health. This includes boosting sports tourism by maximizing world-class facilities like New Clark City through partnerships with entities like the BCDA, and making existing PSC grounds like the Rizal Memorial track ovals accessible to the public to promote a healthy citizenry.
In parting he assures that as long as he is at the helm of the PSC, athletes and sports officials will be shielded from politics because as to what he said and I quote “Politics in sports is worse than politics in politics”.
