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Filipino Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz grant selfie requests inside the Philippine Post Office in Manila on September 18, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Filipina Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz will be working with the government to further push the future of the sport in the country.
Together with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Budget and Management, Diaz-Naranjo is set to establish the largest weightlifting academy in the country.
This initiative looks to strengthen the school-based sports which President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. pushed for during his State of the Nation Address last July, with both the PSC and the DepEd citing how weight training and weightlifting should serve as the backbone of the program.
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“The core requirement for any sport is weightlifting,” said PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio. “But you can’t just donate equipment without teaching student-athletes how to use it properly and avoid injuries. Someone has to teach them the fundamentals.”
This is where Diaz-Naranjo and her HD Weightlifting Academy do their part. Given her extensive knowledge and experience of the sport, the Olympian has been tasked to to lead the charge in helping shape the next generation of champions.
“You need a champion, an icon, to drive this plan,” said Gregorio. “Hindi naman puwedeng ibagsak mo na lang ang equipment tapos bahala na sila. You need Hidilyn Diaz and her academy to replicate the program in each of the 300 schools.”
"Hidilyn has been helping us raise the next generation of athletes," said DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara. "With the leadership of Chairman Pato at the PSC, we are bringing President Bongbong Marcos' vision to life."
Meanwhile, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman expressed her full support to the initiative, emphasizing the readiness of the administration Marcos Jr. to provide funding for the project.
“For this project to materialize, we understand that the government should also provide the necessary funding,” Sec. Amenah said.
“Kami po, sa DBM, asahan n’yo pong nakasuporta at handang umagapay sa ating mga atleta para tugunan ang mga pangangailangan nila, kagaya po ng pagpapatayo ng weightlifting academy na ito,” added Pangandaman.
With the support of DBM, P180 million will be allocated for the project.
While the full list of participating schools is still being validated, Gregorio confirmed that a tripartite agreement will be signed among the PSC, DepEd, and Diaz-Naranjo, who runs her academy based in Jala-Jala, Rizal, alongside her husband and coach, Julius Naranjo.
“Suddenly, Hidilyn has nearly 300 weight training facilities across the country,” said Gregorio. “No one else is better equipped to execute this plan.”
To kickstart the program, the PSC plans to donate ₱100,000 worth of weightlifting equipment to each school and will seek support from private sponsors and sports foundations for additional gear.
“Before implementation, we’ll organize a summit for weightlifting coaches. After that, we’ll donate the equipment,” said Gregorio. “It’s easy to install, all you need is space. The PSC will allocate funds to make this happen.”
“The result is a nationwide PSC-DepEd-Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Academy,” Gregorio concluded.