THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hailed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for approving the creation of the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC) through Administrative Order 38.
The President has mandated the NST-IAC to “harmonize, coordinate, and oversee all government initiatives to develop, promote, and sustain sports tourism in the country.”
Composition
Under Administrative Order 38, which was signed by the President on Oct. 29, 2025, PSC chief Patrick Gregorio will serve as chairman of the NST-IAC with his counterparts from the Department of Tourism as vice chairperson; and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. as members.
Gregorio said the President, an avid sportsman and the biggest supporter of the Filipino athlete, has recognized the hosting of major international sports events as a perfect avenue to promote the country before a global audience.
“The biggest tourism events in the world are sports events. Sports is a multibillion industry and the Philippines can absolutely position itself as a sports hub in the Southeast Asian region,” added Gregorio, citing the full support and cooperation from Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
“This is best done in close partnership with the DoT and LGUs that will be hosting these events,” he added.
The creation of the NST-IAC comes on the heels of the country’s successful hosting of the Fiba Men’s Basketball World Championship in 2023 and recently the FIVB Women’s World Volleyball Championship. This month, the country will also host the Fifa Futsal Women’s World Cup and the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. / RSC from PSC