PSC to institutionalize Women’s Martial Arts Festival

WITH the growing number of women and girls participating in the Women’s Martial Arts Festival annually, the Philippine Sports Commission is considering to institutionalize the event.,

Women in Sports Oversight Commissioner Celia Kiram shared the agency’s delight of the over 1,200 women and girls from various regions in the country taking part in the fifth edition of competition.

“We, at the PSC Board will move towards the institutionalization of an annual martial arts program for women,” Kiram said. “We believe in the power of women. That is why we need more of these programs in the region and provinces.”

PSC-Public Communications Office Head Malyn Bamba cited that the martial arts festival is an initiative of the Commission, in support of Republic Act No. 9710, also known as the “Magna Carta of Women” that spells out very woman’s right to equal participation in sports.

“This includes measures to ensure that gender-based discrimination in competitive and non-competitive sports is removed so that women and girls can benefit from sports development,” Bamba said.

The three-day tourney which kicked off October 23 features the national sport arnis, other martial arts discipline such as judo, karatedo, taekwondo, Muay Thai, pencak silat, wrestling and fencing.

“We hope that this competition will also be a venue and stepping stone for our future national athletes,” concluded Kiram.

The fourth leg of the Women’s Martial Arts Festival was held at PhilSports Complex, Pasig, from May 24 to 26 last year.