THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has extended its support to the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA) for the construction of a brand-new training center inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC).
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio led the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, March 5, 2026, for the National Taekwondo Center, which will rise on the site of the old PSC Bowling Center and could accommodate as many as 100 taekwondo jins daily.
“We enable, we excite, and we make it happen. Finally,” said Gregorio during the ceremony that was attended by PTA president Rafael Alunan III, secretary-general Rocky Samson, PSC commissioners Bong Coo, Fritz Gaston and Walter Torres, as well as members of the national team pool.
Grand Master Hong Sung-Chong, considered the father of Philippine taekwondo, also attended the affair.
“With this new taekwondo center, we can host more international tournaments and give exposure to our national athletes. The shift will surely open up great opportunities for the sport and for our athletes,” Gregorio added.
Alunan, who served as Interior and Local Government secretary and Tourism secretary in the 1990s, thanked the PSC for the support and for the positive changes under Gregorio’s leadership of the government sports agency.
“The PTA will continue to further strengthen our grassroots program, produce more champion athletes and cultivate future leaders,” said Alunan.
The new taekwondo facility will replace the old bowling center, which helped produce great champions like Paeng Nepomuceno, Arianne Cerdeña and Coo.
“After 20 years, our dream to have a new training center will soon be a reality. Thank you to the Philippine Sports Commission for spearheading the birth of the National Taekwondo Center, which aligns with our vision for Philippine taekwondo,” Alunan said.
“This center once produced world champions in bowling. We will faithfully continue the tradition of producing world champions,” he added.
The taekwondo facility will sit on a 1,131-sqm lot and will boast four international championship rings with a seating capacity of 850 for spectators.
Gregorio said building a new home for Philippine taekwondo has been long overdue. He added that the PSC is not funding the entire project, which could be finished before the year ends, as the PTA is also shouldering a big portion of the cost.
Since Gregorio took over the PSC in July last year, several major renovations and upgrades have been undertaken to benefit the national athletes.
These include the strength and conditioning centers at the Teachers’ Camp in Baguio and at the Philsports Complex, the establishment of a sports museum with support from First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and the major facelift of the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center and the RMSC as a whole. / SPORTS RADIO 918