The University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) has been designated as a regional training center for sports and is seeking support to improve its sports facilities. Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio announced this after visiting the UPMin campus in Tugbok, Davao City, following a strong earthquake that struck the area on October 10. Gregorio is asking congressmen and senators for assistance in improving UP Mindanao’s facilities and completing the sports complex within the campus. The Davao City-UP Sports Complex will be a 30,000-seat facility featuring a FIFA-certified football field, a training gym, and an aquatics center, serving as the central hub for the initiative. The PSC and UP Mindanao have partnered to complete and maintain the complex, with UP Mindanao’s Department of Human Kinetics providing technical expertise in sports science, human movement, and sports education. Training programs at the complex are set to begin in November, focusing on pencak silat, and the agency aims to establish a localized national youth training pool in the region to encourage grassroots sports development. Additionally, the university’s Psychosocial Assistance and Referral Desk (PARD) has offered counseling and support services to students and employees affected by the earthquakes, and the university has issued safety tips for the community on what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.
