TUBOD, Lanao del Norte — Filipino families could soon have more opportunities to play, exercise, and discover sporting talent in their own communities as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) calls on local government units (LGUs) to join its Laro’t Saya sa Parke (LSP) program.
The initiative is designed to turn parks, plazas, and other public sports facilities into accessible community spaces where children, adults, and senior citizens can participate in sports and physical activities.
According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the PSC is encouraging interested LGUs to submit a letter of intent for evaluation. If approved, the LGU and PSC can begin working together to implement the program.
Up to ₱20,000 a Week in Support
One of the biggest draws for participating LGUs is the assistance available under the PSC-LGU partnership.
PSC Physical Fitness and Sports Development Division chief Dr. Lauro O. Domingo Jr. said the commission can provide allowances for coaches and trainers conducting activities during weekends.
An LGU may receive up to ₱20,000 per week, equivalent to roughly ₱80,000 a month. Over a 10-month implementation period, the support could reach approximately ₱800,000, according to the PSC official cited by PIA.
The assistance is intended to help communities sustain organized sports activities rather than simply hold one-time events.
What Sports Can Communities Offer?
Laro’t Saya sa Parke is deliberately broad, allowing communities to introduce residents to different sports and recreational activities.
The PSC lists activities such as:
- Aerobics
- Arnis
- Karatedo
- Taekwondo
- Badminton
- Volleyball
- Chess
- Indigenous sports and games
- Football
- Tai chi
The program is part of the PSC’s broader Sports for All approach, with the goal of encouraging regular physical activity and making sports more accessible to ordinary families.
The program itself was created under Memorandum Circular No. 49, issued by the Office of the President, and is described by the PSC as a national, park-based and family-oriented sports campaign.
From Weekend Recreation to Grassroots Talent
The program’s potential impact goes beyond exercise.
A strong example can be found in Dumaguete City, where Laro’t Saya has helped introduce young participants to sports that eventually led some of them to higher-level competitions.
The Manila Bulletin reported in 2024 that the Dumaguete program had produced athletes who went on to compete in the Palarong Pambansa and Philippine National Games. The city’s sports development officer also cited improvements in participants’ physical wellness, discipline, and academics.
The Dumaguete program has also demonstrated how inclusive the concept can be. A reported weekend session attracted about 400 participants, ranging from a four-year-old to a 76-year-old, with activities including arnis, boxing, chess, football, karate, pickleball, sepak takraw, taekwondo, tai chi, volleyball and zumba.
This provides a glimpse of what the PSC hopes community-based sports can accomplish: get families moving while creating a pathway for promising athletes to develop.
The Program Is Already Being Adapted by LGUs
The renewed push comes as local governments continue developing their own grassroots sports initiatives.
In Naga City, the city government announced in June 2026 that it would launch its own “Laro at Saya” initiative at Plaza Rizal, explicitly linking the program to the broader goal of strengthening and expanding grassroots sports participation.
The PSC’s own records also show that Laro’t Saya sa Parke has remained an active component of its sports programs. Its 2025 implementation report recorded 44,668 participants from five LGUs for the 2013–2025 period and said the program’s target had been completed and surpassed.
That history suggests the latest appeal to LGUs is not a brand-new experiment, but an effort to expand a program that has already been implemented in different communities.
A Bigger Grassroots Sports Pipeline
Domingo also pointed to other PSC programs that form part of a broader athlete-development structure.
These include Batang Pinoy for younger athletes and Palarong Pambansa, while the PSC is also working toward the proposed reactivation of the Philippine National Games for athletes aged 16 and above.
The idea is to create more opportunities for athletes to move from community participation into organized competition.
For LGUs, however, the immediate opportunity is simpler: provide a venue, organize the community, and work with the PSC to bring regular sports activities closer to residents.
What LGUs Need to Do
For communities interested in joining, the initial step is straightforward.
The PSC says an interested LGU should submit a letter of intent. The commission will then evaluate the proposal before deciding whether to proceed with the partnership.
The PSC also stresses that successful implementation depends on cooperation among LGUs, schools, sports organizations and other partners, as well as access to suitable sports facilities.
For families, the bigger story may be what happens after the paperwork is approved.
A park that once served mainly as an open public space could become a weekend training ground. A child who simply joins a community game could discover a sport that eventually takes them to a school competition—or even the national stage.
And that may be the real goal behind the PSC’s latest call to LGUs: not just more games in the park, but more Filipinos discovering that the next opportunity to become active, healthy, or even competitive could be waiting just around the corner.
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