PHILIPPINES Trends and Developments Contributed by: Ignatius Michael D Ingles and Daphne Marie M Gomez, The Law Firm of Ingles Laurel Calderon
In recent years, Filipino athletes have shown us their hearts as well as their excellence on the global stage. With multiple medals from the 2024 Summer Olym - pics, the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, the 2025 World Games and other international competitions hosted by international sports federations (ISFs), it has become evident that Filipino athletes are fully capa - ble of competing and winning in a variety of sports internationally. This even includes winning medals in winter games such as the 2025 Asian Winter Games, an amazing feat for a tropical country like the Philip - pines and a testament to the Filipino athletes’ grit, grind and determination. Sadly, this upward trend of international success coin - cides with the alarming rise of issues plaguing Filipino national athletes and members of the national training pool (NTP). Horror stories of how national athletes or members of the NTP have been mistreated have always been prevalent. Some issues concern things as basic as the lack of proper training gear or training venue, while some issues cut deep, such as a last-minute exclusion from the official line-up, an arbitrary removal from the national team, having to pay for medical expenses, or mental health issues born from post-career anxiety or pressure to perform. These issues were a com - mon refrain for national athletes and were often talked about in a hushed manner for fear of retribution, fear of being judged as the “drama athlete” or simply the fear of speaking up. With international success shining a spotlight on grassroots development and training programmes, and with athletes no longer scared of speaking up, it seems the cries for change have become louder, more focused and more unified, culminating in a house bill that hopes to legislate for and institutionalise basic rights of national athletes. House Bill No. 4175, otherwise known as the National Athletes’ Rights Protection Act, was filed for consid - eration on 28 August 2025 in the Philippines House of Representatives. Spearheaded by Olympic fencer Maxine Esteban with the help of ILC Law, the Bill aims to promote and protect the rights and interests of Phil -
ippine national athletes and members of the NTP. The Bill was written around the premise that while there is a need to invest in national athletes, any investment would be for naught if the national athletes themselves were left unprotected. Only once they are protected can Philippine national athletes maximise their full potential. First, the Bill protects national and NTP athletes’ right to due process. A major ongoing issue in Philippine sports is that athletes are easily removed from the official line-up or NTP without being informed of the reason for their removal and without being given an opportunity to explain or defend themselves. This occurs in various national sports associations (NSAs), whether big or small, and whether for a popular or mainstream sport or not. NSAs, as autonomous pri - vate entities, have been able to do so because their discretion has mostly been left unchecked for fear of reprisal. Should this Bill be passed into law, national and NTP athletes will have the right to be informed in writing of any accusation, disciplinary case or inves - tigation against them by their respective NSAs. They will likewise have the right to an impartial hearing or an opportunity to explain their side before any action may be taken by the NSA – including removal from the official team line-up. Second, NSAs will be mandated to develop and pro - vide their member athletes with a handbook which must contain the NSA’s rules and regulations, code of conduct, grievance and appeals procedure, and penalties. The Bill provides that the handbook must be consistent with the rules and regulations of the ISF to which the NSA belongs and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and must embody the principles and values of the Olympic Movement. While these basic documents are par forthecourse with ISFs, they are still sadly lacking in Philippine NSAs. If they do exist, they are rarely made public, to the detriment of stakeholders and athletes yearning for transparency. Third, to ensure that the selection for the national team is objective, merit-based, and not tainted with bias or nepotism, the Bill mandates NSAs to provide selection procedures for choosing who among the member- athletes will be part of any international competition. The Bill likewise provides guidelines for NSAs to fol -
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