IN line with its aggressive efforts in promoting grassroots sports development and sports for all Filipinos, the Philippine Sports Commission yesterday unveiled its loaded calendar of activities for 2012, kicking off with the Philippine Paralympic National Games on Feb. 1 at the Marikina Sports Complex in Marikina City.

“What the PSC  has done is come up with an integrated calendar of activities for the year so that we can meet our objectives in promoting grassroots sports and having more Filipinos indulge in sports,” said Commissioner Jolly Gomez in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch in Manila.

Joining Gomez in the session presented by Smart, PAGCOR and Shakey’s, were  Marikina City Mayor Del Del de Guzman, PHILSPADA president Mike Barredo and Mayor Jed Mabilog of Iloilo City, which will host the Batang Pinoy National Games in December.

“We may have not won the bid for hosting the Palarong Pambansa but we would like to thank the PSC for supporting us in hosting the Paralympic National Games organized by PHILSPADA,” De Guzman said. “We are ready to host this competition for our disabled athletes.”

A former commissioner himself of the government sports agency, Barredo likewise thanked the PSC and Mayor De Guzman for reviving the national meet for persons with disabilities “so that we can discover a new crop of athletes for international competition.”

Barredo said aside from the regular disciplines such as athletics, swimming and chess, there will also be demonstration sports such as cycling and wheelchair tennis.

He disclosed that they have one cyclist who had a “very good chance for a gold medal” in the London Paralympic Games which follows after the London Olympics.

For his part, Mabilog also thanked the PSC and Gomez for awarding to Iloilo City the rights “in hosting the national finals of the Batang Pinoy as it will showcase our city to athletes from all over the country.”

“We will prepare the Iloilo City Sports Complex well for the visiting delegations so that they can display their skills during the Batang Pinoy National Games,” Mabilog said.

Gomez also took the occasion to announce that Dumaguete City, which was also victimized by Typhoon Sendong, will be hosting the Philippine National Games from May 26 to June 3.

“Our city was hit by a major disaster last year but hosting the PNG will show the resiliency of the local people in getting back to normal, and we are happy that Dumaguete has been given this chance,” Dumaguete City Mayor Chiquiting Sagarbarria said in a press statement.

Gomez said that the Batang Pinoy Games, Paralympic National Games and PNG were part of the PSC’s hectic schedule of events and activities “in our bid to come up with an integrated grassroots development program.”