Senator Bong Go cheered for Filipino athletes participating in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand.
The 33rd SEA Games is scheduled to take place from December 9 to December 20, 2025.
The Philippines is expected to participate in all 50 sports with an estimated 1,000 attendees composed of athletes, coaches, and officials.
“Go Philippines! Go for gold!”
“Go Philippines! Go for gold!” the veteran legislator said adding that he has always believed that Team Philippines would surpass its previous medal standing set in Cambodia.
The Philippines finished fifth place in the last SEA Games with 58 golds, 85 silvers, and 117 bronzes.
During the send-off of Filipino athletes, Go expressed hope that the Philippines will top the SEA Games again: “Sana makamit natin iyung nakamit natin noong 2019. Iba naman po iyun kapag host tayo. Pero proud ako noong 2019, my first year as Chairperson ng Committee on Sports naging number one tayo sa SEA Games. At hindi nalalayo sa ngayon. Kayang-kaya natin.”
To achieve this, the seasoned lawmaker pushed for continued government and private sector support to improve the country’s sports program: “Napakaimportante po itong tulong ng gobyerno sa mga atleta at tulong rin po ng pribadong sektor. Kapag nagsama po iyang gobyerno at pribadong sektor, malayo po ang ating mararating tulad noong 2019, number one po tayo.”
For his part, the senator has continuously supported an increased budget for sports programs to significantly improve Filipino athletes’ preparation, training, and competitive performance on the international stage while launching effective programs to cultivate the talents of young and aspiring sports enthusiasts at the grassroots level.
“I have sponsored and defended additional funding for the Philippine Sports Commission since 2019 particularly to support grassroot sports development and to help our athletes participating in international competition,” he said.
Go likewise cited the establishment of the National Academy of Sports (NAS), which is created through Republic Act No. 11470.
“Mayroon na po tayong eskwelahan na pwedeng mag-aral at the same time magtraining ang ating student athletes.”
“Isa po tayo sa may-akda at sa co-sponsor ng NAS. Mayroon na po tayong eskwelahan na pwedeng mag-aral at the same time magtraining ang ating student athletes. Marami na po scholars ngayon dyan at nagfile rin po ako na ma-regionalized po ito,” he explained.
Go was referring to Senate Bill No. 171, which he filed in the 20th Congress, seeking to regionalize the NAS.
He also filed SBN 413, reiterating a proposal he also filed in the previous Congress, seeking to institutionalize the Philippine National Games and establish it as a premier national platform to discover, develop, and support Filipino athletic talent, particularly from the grassroots.
In addition, Go authored SBN 678, or the National Tertiary Games bill, which if enacted, formalizes a national collegiate multi-sport tournament aimed at nurturing athletic talent at the tertiary level.
“Bilang Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Sports and Committee on Youth, I remain fully committed to strengthening sports development in our country especially from the grassroots. Naniniwala po ako na kapag inaalagaan natin ang ating kabataan at mga atleta, we build not just strong individuals but a strong future for our nation,” he concluded.
