Manuel
V. Pangilinan’s moniker as MVP was made all the more accurate during the 4th Philippine
Sports Tourism Awards after being recognized as the private sector’s Sports
Tourism Personality of the Year for 2019.
The
award cited MVP’s immense contributions to the sports tourism sector in the
country. After serving as the first-ever president of the Samahang Basketbol ng
Pilipinas, Pangilinan went on to found the MVP Sports Foundation which provided
a good cross section of sports with the proper funding and training to produce
world-class athletes.
Under
his leadership, the country’s largest integrated telco PLDT and its wireless
arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) were also able to deploy fixed and
wireless networks in New Clark City as part of preparations for the country’s
hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Aside from rolling out fiber
infrastructure and cell sites, Smart also augmented its capacity and coverage
in key areas around the NCC in anticipation of the heavy influx of crowds
during the competition. PLDT and Smart were also the official telecom partners
of the 2019 SEA Games.
In
his acceptance speech presented by SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios, MVP
reflected the PSTA mission in upholding sports as a major pillar in Philippine
tourism “The unquantifiable benefits alone make strong case for investing in
sports. But today, we are recognizing a more direct and tangible benefit—how
sports could encourage tourism, and how it might eventually serve as a catalyst
for economies, both local and national’ said Mr. Pangilinan.
While
the absence of sports activities this year has left a dent on the sports
tourism sector, various international sporting events in the country are
already planned and laid out for the near future; with the goal of reigniting
the spirit of sports and ramping up tourism. One such event is the highly
anticipated FIBA World Cup. The Philippines, through the initiatives of Mr.
Pangilinan will be hosting the international competition in 2023 alongside
Japan and Indonesia. And, following the successful
stint of Gilas Pilipinas in Bahrain last November, FIBA has recently announced
that Clark in the Philippines will be one the host cities for the 2021 FIBA
Asia Cup Qualifiers, with Doha in Qatar, Tokyo in Japan, and Manama in Bahrain.
“This
award is not a culmination of the work we’ve rendered, but a mandate to push
the envelope. Sports remains a high-potential investment for our country, and I
consider it an honor to be able to continue supporting its development. We can
improve our sporting landscape for the benefit of our athletes and, ultimately,
for that of the greater Philippine nation,” he added.
The
4th Sports Tourism Awards, held in Clark Freeport, was presented by
Clark Development Corporation and Selrahco Management in collaboration with the
Department of Tourism and the Philippines Sports Commission and supported by
Smart Communications, Coca Cola Beverages Philippines, Universal Robina
Corporation and City of Mabalacat.
Other awardees in the 4th Philippine
Sports Tourism Awards include People’s Television Network for News Coverage of
the Year, New Clark City for Sports Venue of the Year, Dumaguete City for
Sports Organizer of the Year (government), Sunrise Events Inc. for Organizer of
the Year (private, Tour de Cebu for Adventure Event of the Year, Philippine
Airlines for Airline of the Year, Resorts World Manila for Charity Event of the
Year, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines for Event Sponsorship of the Year, The
Mansion Boutique Hotel and Villas for Hotel of the Year, Subic Bay Metropolitan
Authority for Destination Marketing of the Year, Triathlon Association of the
Philippines for Sports Association of the Year, TINMAN Ilocos Norte for Event of
the Year (domestic), IRONMAN 70.3 as Event of the Year
(international), Mayor Felipe Remollo for Sports Tourism Personality of
the Year (government), and Clark Freeport Zone for Sports Tourism Destination
of the Year. (PR)
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