THE Philippine Sports Commission and the Bangsamoro Sports Commission yesterday signed a landmark agreement for the PSC to help the newly created BSC in promoting grassroots and sports development under its jurisdiction in the Mindanao region.
PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez signed the agreement while BSC Chairman Nu-man Caludtiag signed on behalf of the fledgling sports body as part of an ambitious five-year sports development plan for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Witnessing the signing were PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Commissioner Celia Kiram and BSC Commissioners Arsalan Diamaoden, Abdulkari Musa, Yushoup Sario and Adzhar Tingkahan.
“We will need the expertise and experience of the PSC led by Chairman Butch Ramirez in developing our own programs in the region,” said Caludtiag, whose own agency was formed in September 2020 as part of the law creating the BARMM.
“As part of this agreement, the PSC will provide the technical support to help the BSC promote and develop their grassroots sports and the indigenous sports in their respective areas as well,” Iroy said during the press briefing held at the PSC conference room.
The BSC commissioners revealed they intend to develop sports that are already thriving in their respective locations.
“In our case, we have identified badminton as one sport that looks promising in our area,” said Tingkahan, who oversees Sulu.
Sario said that basketball and volleyball are popular in Basilan, Musa said they would like to develop the combat sport of pencak silat in Tawi-Tawi, while Diamoaoden wanted Lanao del Sur to become a sports powerhouse in the region.
Given the vast coastline of the BARMM, Ramirez recommended the Olympic event of open water swimming as a discipline that could be easily developed among its young athletes.
