Quezon City fencing program aims to produce more standouts, scholars
MANILA, Philippines — Twenty years after launching a fencing program in Quezon City, Joseph Juico said getting an athletic scholarship is still the ultimate objective of the QCSep Fencing Team for young fencers to get free education, and eventually finish college for a better future — for themselves and their families.
Juico’s fencing program already produced a number of national team fencers the last two decades, including 2024 Paris Olympics veteran Samantha Catantan.
Considered as the face of Philippine fencing, Catantan is the standard when it comes to accomplishments, even off the piste. She recently earned her master’s degree in accounting at Penn State University, where she fenced from 2020 to 2026 in the US NCAA.
QCSep fencing has also produced former and current national team members, including Catantan’s sisters Janna and Sophia, the Nicanor siblings Michael and Jylyn, their Felipe nephews Tipoy, Kulay and Khian, the Perez brothers Nat and RJ, as well as the Concepcion brothers CJ and Anthony.
“We hope that this program grows further,” said Juico, a District 2 councilor of Quezon City in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
“With help from the national government, help from the private sector, ng sa gayon lumaganap pa ang fencing (both in the city and the country).”
“The goal is to give each and every child a fighting chance to excel and if fencing is the avenue, and given how successful we are naman, modesty aside, then I will use this avenue to help a child or a family that is willing to help themselves.”
“Ang sport naman hindi naman s’ya sine-serve on a silver platter, kailangan mo paghirapan for you to excel and to move forward in life,” added Juico at the weekly forum backed San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and ArenaPlus, the country’s only 24/7 sports app.
QCSep fencing coach Nadinn Licono, who was with the first batch when the program was introduced in 2006, said she is very grateful that from being a student of the game, she is now part of the coaching staff, witnessing the growth from its humble beginnings to where it is now.
Following the footsteps of his brothers Amat and Christian Canlas — the founding mentors of the QCSep fencing team — Licono said they have at the moment 33 students. Since starting in 2006, about 100 fencers have been given athletic scholarships in different UAAP universities — high school and colleges.
Also, the program has 23 members of the national team, 11 are active.
“We have different roles now, as a coach it’s like paying back to the program. Some of my teammates from the first batch are also coaching, and since fencing is booming right now — dahil na din sa QCSep program — private club coaches came from QCSep,” said Licono.
In connection with the 20th founding anniversary of QCSep fencing team, Juico, son of former PSC chairman Phillip Ella Juico, said that a program has been launched that will help fencing coaches from different clubs incorporate their training with Strength and Conditioning exercises with renowned S&C mentor Chappy Callanta.
Also, according to Juico, he is in talks with Catantan to do a training camp for fencers and coaches with her Penn State head coach Matteo Zennaro from Italy sometime in June next year. (PSA pool story)
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