PATRICK “Pato” Gregorio will be among the key figures to take center stage at the San Miguel Corporation–Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) 2025 Awards Night on February 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
Gregorio, 58, will receive the Executive of the Year award in recognition of his impactful leadership as chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), an honor conferred by the country’s oldest media organization that annually stages the prestigious sports gala.
His citation comes after a strong start in public service, with Gregorio earning praise for the decisive and dynamic work he has delivered in a short span since taking the helm of the PSC.
At the ceremony, Gregorio will share the spotlight with two of the Philippines’ brightest sporting icons. Olympic gymnast Carlos Yulo and rising tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala are set to be honored as Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively.
The special proceedings are co-presented by the PSC and ArenaPlus, with support from major stakeholders including the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Cignal, Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Basketball Association, Akari, Rain or Shine, Capital1 Solar Energy, and Acrocity.
A former top hotelier and sports executive under the MVP Group, Gregorio made a seamless transition from the corporate sector to public service. Appointed as the country’s sports czar in the second half of 2025, the University of the Philippines alumnus wasted no time in rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.
First order of the day for Gregorio was an across-the-board increase of P5,000 to the monthly allowances of national athletes and coaches.
He also made the novelty move of opening the doors of the track and field ovals at the Rizal Memorial Complex, Philsports, and the Teachers Camp in Baguio to the public in line with the PSC’s program for a healthy citizenry.
Under Gregorio’s leadership, the country also hosted major international tournaments such as the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, the FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, and the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, emphasizing that such global sports events can turn the Philippines into a top tourism destination.
With the belief that sports and tourism go hand in hand, the former PBA chairman and president of the Philippine Rowing Association was named head of the National Sports Tourism-Interagency Committee which was responsible for the staging of the first ever WTA 125 tournament in the country via the Philippine Women’s Open, where Eala served as the main attraction in her first major tournament in the country.
Massive renovations at the Rizal Memorial Complex including the tennis center, baseball pitch, media conference room, the Philsports track oval, and training facilities in Baguio were also made under Gregorio’s watch.
As former POC secretary general, the eldest brother of coaches Ryan and Allan Gregorio also made sure of a harmonious working relationship between the government sports agency and the country’s Olympic governing body, identified grassroots talent outside of Metro Manila, and ensure the continuity in sports development initiatives.
And prior to his appointment to the PSC, Gregorio helped organize the return of the Tour of Luzon via the firm DuckWorld Philippines.
Named as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men in 2003 for Tourism Management, Gregorio also once served as the first ever executive director of the then newly-recognized Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, was secretary general of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, and executive vice president of the MVP Sports Foundation.
