Marcos vows new sports program, honors athletes

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honored Filipino athletes and vowed to create a new national program for sports development during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

He aimed to bring back sports clubs and games in public schools to provide early exposure for the youth, mentioning world-class athletes as inspirations.

The President cited several athletes and paralympians, including Aira Villegas, Nesthy Petecio, EJ Obiena, Jerrold Mangliwan, Cendy Asusano, Angel Mae Otom, and Ernie Gawilan.

Marcos also humorously included Philippine National Police chief General Nicolas Torre III among the 'new boxing champs' after his charity bout with Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte was cancelled.

Torre, who was surprised by the President's remark, acknowledged the statement, which drew cheers from the audience.

The boxing match between Torre and Duterte was cancelled, but it generated P16 million which the PNP donated to typhoon victims.

Marcos mentioned that Filipino athletes clinched two gold and two bronze medals in the Paris Olympics last year, along with numerous other accolades.