Tolentino renews call for Philippine Olympic House after historic Paris 2024 medal haul

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With three gold medals and a total of 18 medals from the Paris 2024 Olympics, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino says it’s the perfect time for the country to have its own Philippine Olympic House.

Tolentino renewed his proposal for a permanent Olympic headquarters—a campaign he has championed for the past Olympic cycle—during his attendance at Malaysia’s Olympic House groundbreaking ceremony in Kuala Lumpur before the weekend.

“It’s about time,” said Tolentino. “I would confess that I wish we have the same here in the Philippines.”

The Philippines, which marked its 100th year of Olympic participation in Paris, enjoyed a historic campaign highlighted by Carlos Yulo’s two gold medals in gymnastics and Hidilyn Diaz’s 2021 weightlifting gold in Tokyo.

PHILIPPINE Olympic Committtee president and Olympic Council of Asia Legal Committee chairman Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (left) with (from left) Malaysia Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria and Badminton World Federation president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul.

A century without a home

Since its founding in 1911 as the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, the POC has never had a headquarters of its own. The organization has relocated several times, from the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila to its current office at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

Tolentino suggested possible locations for the Olympic House, including the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Clark in Pampanga, New Clark City in Capas, and Tagaytay City—home to a world-class velodrome, hotels, and a scenic Taal Lake backdrop.

Malaysia’s Olympic House as a model

Malaysia, despite not yet winning an Olympic gold medal, has begun constructing Asia’s first Olympic House in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. The 140,973-square-foot facility will accommodate 58 national sports associations and feature modern amenities such as a gymnasium, museum, café, resource center, and prayer hall. The project costs RM103 million (₱1.4 billion) and sits on a 2.2-hectare lot.

Tolentino, who also serves as chairman of the Legal Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia, believes the Philippines should follow suit:

“A Philippine Olympic House is what we need to honor our heroes, preserve more than a century of sports heritage, and sustain the successes we have achieved.”