The transformer strikes again

It took a month on a 24/7 workload to turn the abandoned PNB branch within the confines of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex into a vibrant event place/VIP lounge called PSC House. And on its inauguration, the PSC House was spruced up even more to stage the fifth Philippine Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony last Saturday.

The selection process for the Hall of Fame went through four months, much longer than the renovation that transformed the PNB branch. PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio cited the PSC staff and DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon’s team for tirelessly working to complete the conversion in time for the Hall of Fame induction.

Since his appointment at PSC, Gregorio has gained a reputation as The Transformer, swiftly moving mountains to refurbish, reactivate and restore facilities at Rizal, PhilSports and the Baguio training camp. His mandate from President Marcos was to resuscitate what was on the ground, completing unfinished business and awakening dormant resources. No new structures, just rebuild what could be useful.

However, there is something new, an exception, that PSC is undertaking in partnership with SM Prime Holdings but at no cost to the government. SM is shouldering the P250 million budget to construct a jogging walkway connecting the LRT on Taft Avenue to the new SM City Harrison through Rizal. The walkway will make Rizal more accessible from the LRT with parking available at the SM City Harrison and the elevated path a jogger’s dream.

“My vision for the PSC is transformation but at the heart of this transformation is preservation,” said Gregorio in his remarks at the induction rites. “National memory, pride of country, the soul and spirit of the Filipino people. For years, people looked at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the PhilSports Arena and sighed. Many believed these places had already seen their best days. But look at them now. The transformation was built through sacrifice, hard work and dedication. In the next 12 months, Rizal Memorial will continue to transform. We will continue restoring, improving and revitalizing this national treasure. We will grow sports as an industry that can help our country and change the lives of our people. Because sport is a great equalizer. It bridges differences in age, class, language, culture, religion and circumstance. It reminds us that greatness can come from anywhere.”

At the end of this month, Gregorio will conclude his first year of office and his accomplishments have been far-reaching. The Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement was in perfect timing as a milestone in Gregorio’s initial year. Speaking to the Hall of Famers, he said: “Your achievements have transformed the national imagination … in the same spirit, we seek to do more than create beautiful spaces, we want to continue the work of transforming hearts and minds…sa gitna ng lahat ng gulo sa bansa at sa mundo, it is the spirit of transformation that allows us to keep hoping…let us honor legacy not only be remembering it but by living it.”