The Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) recently partnered with PLDT’s wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) to boost the return of Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City.
“Our support for Palarong Pambansa Boxing VisMin Cup is part of PLDT and Smart’s unwavering commitment to develop sports and assist Filipino athletes, especially the youth and the grassroots levels. Visayas and Mindanao are teeming with young boxers who, when developed and trained, will have the potential to represent the country. We are proud to support this event, and we look forward to finding the next big punch from this new generation of boxers,” said Nancy Nacua, Senior Manager, Smart Customer Development Strategies and Support.
Palarong Pambansa is a major sporting event organized by the Department of Education to celebrate and hone the talents and skills of thousands of Filipino student-athletes nationwide. Due to the ongoing pandemic, this year’s Palarong Pambansa had to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines set by the national government. Select regions were assigned to host at least one sports tournament to limit the number of attendees per event and keep the participants safe.
After over two decades, Cebu City welcomed again Palarong Pambansa participants for this year’s Boxing VisMin Cup held at the Cebu City Sports Center. This four-day activity drew aspiring boxers aged 14 to 18 from Cebu, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Ormoc, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.
Smart boosted the event by providing Smart Bro Pocket WiFi devices, shirts, marketing collaterals, and other merchandising support to help promote the event offline and online.
“Thanks to Smart, we were able to successfully organize one of the biggest sporting events in Cebu since the pandemic struck in 2020. Smart has been a major contributor to Philippine boxing, and this sponsorship is in line with the company's thrust to develop future boxing Olympians,” said John Pages, CCSC Chairman.
Smart also provided connectivity support for the event’s live streaming to bring the tournament closer to the participants’ schools and relatives, as well as to boxing fans across the country. “The connectivity provided by Smart helped boost the popularity of the Palarong Pambansa to boxing enthusiasts all over the Philippines,” added Pages.
Supporting sports activities such as the Palarong Pambansa is part of the PLDT Group’s overall support for sports and Filipino athletes, and underscores the company’s contribution to UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
*Photos by Cebu City Sports Commission
