AYALA CORPORATION Managing Director John Philip Orbeta said its all-out backing of national track and field athletes is only the beginning of its support for Philippine sports.
“The reason we decided to get into sports was we were really looking at what ways Ayala can continue in our commitment to national development and nation-building. We are into arts and culture. We do a lot of work in education. But one of the things we felt was missing was sports,” said Orbeta.
Instead of a shotgun approach Ayala decided to focus on track and field first.
“It has the most potential. It doesn’t take much for people to run. You give them an open field and they can run. Give them something they need to throw and they will throw. It’s easy to do that. What’s missing is a formal program to focus on grass roots development and facilities to help develop elite athlete performance,” said Orbeta.
Ayala therefore built the Vermosa Sports Hub which gives Filipino track and field athletes access to state-of-the-art facilities to prepare for local and international competitions.
“One of the biggest things we were surprised to find out is that we did not have an internationally certified track and field stadium. I guess it was meant to be. We were actually building a track as part of our Vermosa Sports facility. If we’re going to build it anyway why don’t we go through the process of building it according to IAAF standards?” said Orbeta.
Vermosa has the first 400-meter, nine lane track oval in the country, the only local track oval certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
A grandstand and more seating facilities are being built beside the track oval. Billeting quarters for the athletes will also be constructed. These will allow Vermosa to host future events and competition.
“We believe in our national athletes’ potential to inspire, drive and instill collective nationalism through sports. One of the biggest gaps is an internationally certified athletics facility which the Vermosa Sports Hub provides as a means to improve their performance and competitiveness,” said Orbeta.
Philippine track and field athletes will also have access to the 600-square meter Sante Fitness Lab, a first-of-its-kind combination of facilities in the country.
“We hope that by doing that (build Vermosa Sports Hub) we will attract more and more young athletes with big dreams. That they dream to represent the country. That they dream to make us proud. And that they dream to make a name for themselves in the international stage,” said Orbeta.
