Tourism and sports officials have united in a commitment to position Iloilo City and its surrounding areas as a premier sports hub in the country. This strong consensus emerged during the recently concluded Sports Tourism Forum at the Richmonde Hotel in Iloilo City.
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| Resource speakers of STF 2025 (from left to right): Mr. Carlo Sampan, Assistant Vice President, MILO Sports Programs; Mr. Charles Lim, President & CEO, Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc.; Dir. Crisanta Marlene “Krisma” Rodriguez, Regional Director, DOT Region VI; Mr. Celso “Toots” Jimenez Jr., Executive Director, National Convention of Big Bikers; Mr. Art Boncato, Group General Manager, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts; Ms. Mary Jamelle Camba, Tourism Department Manager, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Dir. Roberto “Robby” Alabado III, Regional Director, DOT Region IV-B; and Mr. Rein Dayot, Head of Sports Development, City of Iloilo. |
Almost one hundred participants from across the province and beyond, belonging to a broad spectrum of the travel and tourism industry and the sports communities witnessed top-class speakers reveal best practices in events management, sponsorship expectations, and challenges, highlighted with case studies.
"The objectives of the one-day forum were met with so much synergy between the tourism and sports sectors," observed Charles Lim of Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc, the main advocate of sport tourism in the country for the past decades and organizer of the Sports Tourism Forum series.
"What was very rewarding were the reactions of event organizers of mega events expressing their keenness in holding events here in Iloilo after realizing its potential, " added Lim.
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| Charles Lim, President & CEO of Sports Turismo Alliance, Inc. |
He cited Princess Galura of Sunrise Events, the organizers of triathlon events such as IRONMAN 70.3, 51.50, the Rock and Roll Running Series, and CyclePH, expressing interest in staging the race events in Iloilo. Similarly, Patrick "Pato" Gregorio, chairman of DuckWorld PH the company that just recently revived the iconic Tour de Luzon.
Co-presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT) Region VI, headed by Regional Director, Krisma Rodriguez, the Forum also featured speakers from DOT's national office, Director Roberto Alabado III, Ms. Mary Jamelle Camba, Tourism Head of multi-awardee of sports tourism destination, Subic Bay Freeport, Executive Director of the National Big Bike Convention, Mr. Celso "Toots" Jimenez, Jr and Mr. Carlo Sampan of Nestle Philippines who announced that this year's national finals of the MILO Marathon will be held in Iloilo.
Sports aficionados of rugby, surfing, biking, pickleball. rowing, running, among others, with local government officials from across Panay and Negros Occidental actively participated in the Forum. The panel discussion featured Mr. Art Boncato, Group General Manager of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts; Mr. Rein Dayot, head of Sports Development of Iloilo City; Dr. Richard Gabayoyo, professor and sports consultant of West Visayas State University with Mr. Charles Lim, who also is the Founder of Sports Tourism Forum as moderator.
"This long-awaited event would not have been possible without the support of DOT6, Mayor Jerry Trenas and the City of Iloilo, Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr and the Province of Iloilo, Cebu Pacific Air, Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, Iloilo MICE Alliance, Richmonde Hotel, The Travel Club, Southwest Tours and Bong Bong's," explained Lim.
The Sports Tourism Forum dates back to 2004 when it was first held in Cebu in preparation for the 2005 SEA Games. It has since been held multiple times in these cities across the country - Davao, Clark, Subic, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Laoag, and Manila.
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