ILOILO CITY — Local government officials on Sunday vowed to support grassroots sports programs in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s goal to shield the youth from illegal drugs.
“The city government supports the program of the President that through sports we stop illegal drugs in this part of the country,” Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III said in his welcome message during the opening of the Batang Pinoy Visayas leg at the Iloilo Sports Complex here.
“They (youth) are the future leaders of our community that we should protect and preserve,” he added as he welcomed 2,849 athletes from 71 local government units (LGUs).
Espinosa encouraged everyone to ensure that the Philippines “will be in good hands” by seeing to it that the future generations are free from influence of illegal drugs.
He thanked former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go for helping him to get an appointment with the President for his program “Utos ni President, Utos ni Mayor: No to Corruption, No to Criminality, No to illegal drugs”.
Go together with former Philippine National Police Director-General Ronald dela Rosa graced the opening ceremonies of the week-long sport event.
In a media interview, Go said the Batang Pinoy is a program of the government to protect children from the drug menace.
“This will be one of our priorities, sports development, especially for the grassroots,” Go said.
He said athletes should get the much-needed support and big incentives.
“They should be supported from the start up to their training, especially those with potentials,” he said.
Go, a senatorial aspirant like dela Rosa, pointed out that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) should be given additional budget.
Batang Pinoy is the PSC’s grassroots sports development program for children 15 years old and below with national winners bound to get opportunity to be part of the national pool.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., for his part, also expressed strong support of the provincial government to the PSC’s grassroots program.
Defensor is hoping the country’s first ever Olympic gold medalist will come from Batang Pinoy.
“The Philippines since it joined the Olympic Games has not won a gold medal. Maybe through the Batang Pinoy, they can discover athletes who can compete and win the coveted gold medal in the Olympics” he said.
The opening rite was also attended by PSC chairperson William Ramirez and Commissioners Charles Raymond Maxey, Arnold Agustin and Ramon Fernandez.