Salute to women

Today marks the end of National Women’s Month with this year’s celebration highlighted by the theme “WE (Women and Everyone) for Gender Equality and Inclusive Society.”  The PSC has done more than its share to recognize the value of women in society by recently holding the third All-Women in Sports Awards and hosting a forum to discuss women’s mid-life health and wellness.

At the 2024 Olympics, 15 of the 22 athletes who represented the Philippines were women. There were three each from boxing and gymnastics, two each from weightlifting and golf and one each from athletics, fencing, judo, rowing and swimming. Every sport which the Philippines participated in featured a woman. Of the three Philippine medalists, two were women, boxers Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio who brought home a bronze each.

More women continue to bring honor to the country. Tennis star Alex Eala, 20, was named co-Athlete of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association. She’s the only Philippine tennis player ever, male or female, to crash the world’s top 30. Eala isn’t just making waves on the court but also off the court where she has gained the admiration of fans all over the world, regardless of ethnicity, for her humility, disarming candidness and genuine simplicity.

The Filipinas football team just clinched its second consecutive World Cup appearance in Brazil next year with a stunning 2-0 win over Uzbekistan at the qualifiers in Australia. In its World Cup debut in 2023, the Filipinas upset host New Zealand to register the country’s biggest win in football history. And the Gilas women’s team shocked World No. 19 Colombia, 74-59, at the World Cup qualifiers in France to climb from No. 39 to No. 30, its highest ever, in the FIBA ladder. Women aren’t showing up only to represent. They’re producing incredible results and making history.

Let’s not forget the first Philippine Olympic gold medalist in a regular event was weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the first Philippine Olympic gold medalist in a demonstration sport was bowler Arianne Cerdena in 1988. Additionally, it must be pointed out that bowler Bong Coo is the country’s most decorated athlete with nearly 80 medals, including 37 gold, in international competitions. Now a PSC commissioner, Coo is a four-time world champion and a World Bowling Hall of Famer.

“The reality we often don’t say out loud is that women work twice as hard for half the recognition,” said PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio. “I want sport to be one of the places where that imbalance is challenged decisively. Women athletes and women sports leaders are symbols of possibility and agents of mobility. So let us not only celebrate them. Let us support them, invest in them and build systems worthy of what they make possible.”