(Photo from PSC website)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is preparing a major rehabilitation of the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, including upgrades to its football field, athletics track and indoor arenas, as part of efforts to modernize the country’s sports infrastructure.
PSC Chairman Pato Gregorio announced the plans during the commission’s performance review forum on Thursday, November 12, revealing that discussions with FIFA President Gianni Infantino are being arranged to explore improvements to the nearly century-old Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Gregorio said the stadium’s facilities have long needed upgrading to meet international standards and accommodate major sporting events.
“In the next couple of weeks, fingers crossed, if President Gianni can land here, we will have a meeting to help discuss the upgrading of the (Rizal Memorial) Football Stadium. (It’s) long overdue, long forgotten, not world-class, not even for collegiate football,” Gregorio said.
The proposed renovation includes doubling the stadium’s current seating capacity of nearly 13,000 spectators, with Gregorio saying the project would be undertaken without additional costs to the national government.
The PSC is targeting completion between March and May 2028.
Despite the planned modernization, Gregorio assured the public that the stadium’s historic façade would be preserved in accordance with requirements set by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
He said the redevelopment master plan had undergone coordination with the Manila city government and relevant agencies, including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and utility providers.
“We’ve done our homework. Master plan po ito. Wala pong sisirain, hindi po masisira, papagandahin at babaguhin lang,” Gregorio said.
Infantino is expected to visit the Philippines for the ASEAN Football Federation congress on Sunday and activities related to the 49th ASEAN Summit.
Rizal Memorial Coliseum eyed as tennis venue
Aside from the football stadium, the PSC is planning a major transformation of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, which has served as a basketball venue for decades.
Gregorio said the historic indoor arena would be redesigned with a retractable roof, allowing it to accommodate sports traditionally played outdoors.
He explained that the coliseum was originally intended for tennis before becoming one of the country’s prominent basketball venues.
“It will no longer be a basketball court. My background is basketball. But I’m sorry, Basketball. It’s time to give opportunities and facilities to other sports. There are so many basketball courts in this country. We don’t need more basketball courts,” Gregorio said.
The PSC is also considering the coliseum as the main competition venue for the WTA 250 Philippine Women’s Open scheduled for November 2027.
Gregorio said preparations would focus on making the facility suitable for international tennis competitions.
“Of course, tennis is one of them. Alam naman po natin na we will host WTA 250 in November 2027. We will try our best to develop it so that it’s ready for the WTA 250,” he said.
The planned improvements are expected to provide additional opportunities for athletes competing in sports that have historically received less infrastructure support than basketball.
Meanwhile, the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, which has hosted Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games and other sporting events, is also included in the PSC’s rehabilitation plans.
The proposed redevelopment forms part of the commission’s broader initiative to improve national sports facilities, expand opportunities for athletes and strengthen the Philippines’ capacity to host international competitions.
