PSC chair Pato Gregorio named guest of honor at SAC Awards

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio will grace the 40th Sportswriters Association of Cebu-San Miguel Brewery (SAC-SMB) Cebu Sports Awards as guest of honor and keynote speaker of the milestone event slated on March 8 at the Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center.

It's a sweet homecoming of sorts for Gregorio, who lived in Cebu for six years from 2000 to 2006 as General Manager of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino and as chairman of the Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau promoting the province as a sports tourism destination.

An established businessman, hotelier, and sports executive, the 58-year-old Gregorio is the 13th chairperson of the PSC, a government agency responsible for the country's sports development.

Before reaching the top echelon of leadership in Philippine sports, Gregorio has held various positions and major roles, including as president of the Philippine Rowing Association where Filipino rowers qualified for the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Additionally, Gregorio once served as secretary-general of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP), chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) during the league's 2014–2015 season, and member of the Executive Board of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Furthermore, he helped in sports marketing initiatives with Smart Communications and led DuckWorld PH, a sports management firm that relaunched the "Tour of Luzon" cycling event. After being appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as PSC chairman in July 2025, Gregorio's administration focused on athlete welfare, strengthening sports facilities, professionalizing sports governance, and boosting sports tourism. He was later appointed to head the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee under Administrative Order 38 signed by President Marcos, integrating sports with tourism promotion.

Under his watch, the Philippines hosted and made bids for major international sports events, including volleyball, gymnastics, surfing, futsal and tennis competitions. Just a few weeks ago, Gregorio was honored as "Executive of the Year" by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) for his early achievements as PSC chief.

Gregorio's presence will surely add glitz to the forthcoming SAC Awards, especially in inspiring the outstanding Cebuano athletes to strive even further in pursuit of excellence in their respective fields. TMT

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