THE Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) has unveiled a long-term development plan that could transform Ormoc City into Eastern Visayas’ premier boxing hub and a pipeline for future Olympians.
ABAP President Marcus Manalo said the organization has formally requested the Philippine Sports Commission to designate Ormoc as the region’s official boxing training center, stressing that the city already possesses the essential ingredients for success.
“We made a formal request for Ormoc City to be established as the regional boxing training center because the justifications are very clear. They already have the facilities, there’s already a sporting culture here, and most importantly, there’s very strong LGU support. For us, it’s really a no-brainer,” said Manalo.
But beyond the proposal, Manalo revealed that ABAP already has a comprehensive development program ready once the regional center is approved.
The first phase will focus on upgrading the quality of coaching and officiating across Eastern Visayas through education programs led by national team coaches and even foreign boxing experts.
“We already have a package of programs prepared. We always begin with education for coaches and technical officials because before we conduct competitions, we have to make sure they’re properly trained. Even our foreign coaches will come to Ormoc so local coaches can learn directly from them,” he said.
After strengthening the region’s coaching pool, ABAP plans to organize regular regional competitions to keep boxers active year-round instead of limiting their exposure to national events like the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy.
Manalo believes consistent competition is the missing piece in developing elite athletes.
“It’s important that athletes compete regularly not only during national events. We want local and regional tournaments so they continue developing. Once we build that system, I believe we’ll produce more future Olympians and Olympic medalists from this region,” he continued.
To emphasize the region’s potential, Manalo pointed to Paris Olympic bronze medalist Aira Villegas, an Eastern Visayas native whose journey from Yolanda survivor to Olympic medalist serves as inspiration for young boxers.
“One of our Olympic medalists is from this region, Aira Villegas. She kept persevering despite not winning many medals early in her career. When she was finally given the opportunity, she embraced it and reached the Olympic podium,” Manalo said.
The proposal comes after the Philippine Sports Commission donated a brand-new boxing ring to Ormoc during the recently concluded Sports and Youth Summit, further strengthening the city’s bid to become Eastern Visayas’ regional boxing center and a future breeding ground for Philippine boxing champions. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
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