BEHIND the success of the Philippine campaign in the Tokyo Olympics, three officials charted the path to glory, proving that a collaboration between the private sector and government indeed go a long way.
From the beginning, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, and chef de mission Mariano "Nonong" Araneta stood in front of the country’s preparation for the Tokyo Games with the goal of giving the athletes the best chance possible to become successful.
Their efforts in the middle of the pandemic led to the country’s first gold medal in the Olympics thanks to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, and even more. The Philippines also got two silver medals from Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and a bronze from Eumir Marcial, all from boxing.
For this, the three were selected as SPIN.ph’s Executives of the Year for 2021.
SOTY 2021: Executives of the Year
The blueprint of the Philippines’ successful campaign in the Olympics can be traced back a few years prior to 2021, with Tolentino and Ramirez also instrumental in the country’s overall championship in the Southeast Asian Games two years before.
Momentum was on the side of the Philippines after the SEA Games feat. The build-up for the Olympics though suffered a big blow in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the entire world, putting the Games in jeopardy of its first cancellation since World War II, and the Filipino athletes worried with uncertainty.
But when the International Olympic Committee made an assurance that the Tokyo Games will go on the following year, the three officials buckled down to work.

Although he sits in a private sports organization, Tolentino used his influence as Deputy Speaker and Cavite representative to champion the cause of the athletes during the pandemic, with Philippine sports being given a sizeable budget of P180 million for the allowance of athletes and coaches, provided for by the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, after it was put on hold during the pandemic.
Then, the PSC leadership led by Ramirez made sure that the Filipino athletes were taken cared of amidst the challenges. The government sports agency’s coffers were affected by the pandemic, with the limited operations of establishments supervised by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation due to the lockdown. It led to lesser remittances to the National Sports Development Fund, the primary source of funding for the national athletes by the PSC.
But Ramirez and the PSC continued their funding to the athletes, spending, according to the agency, P200 million in Olympic-related expenses ranging from Diaz’s Team HD and her extended training in Malaysia, to the boxers’ camp in Thailand. The PSC also approved a budget of P46 million specifically for the Tokyo Olympics campaign for the athletes’ airfare and allowances specifically for the Games.

Also contributing to the cause was Araneta, the president of the Philippine Football Federation. As head of delegation, Araneta was on top of everything related to the Olympics ever since his appointment in 2019. Araneta attended meetings with the Tokyo organizing committee, and communicated developments not only to the POC and the PSC, but also to the athletes to reassure them that the Games will continue.
The chef de mission also helped in keeping a safe environment for the Filipino athletes in Tokyo, with only one case reported during the Games, through the implementation and the effective communication of the protocols of the Olympics.
The Philippines ended up with a successful campaign, breaking a 97-year drought that the whole country celebrated. Their efforts didn’t stop there.

Tolentino and Ramirez also took the lead in providing incentives to the athletes, with the POC president also giving out house and lots to Diaz, Petecio, Paalam, and Marcial, and the PSC chairman not limiting the handout of incentives to what was provided by law.
After Tokyo, Philippine sports can now look forward to an even better campaign in 2024 in Paris.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph