Boracay did not just host a swimming race over the weekend. The island sat for an audition, and the outside examiner told the Philippines it is ready for more.

The 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, wrapped up after three days. Organizers believe it has opened the door to bigger international meets.

“We are grateful that we staged this international open water swimming showcase smoothly. It has opened up chances in hosting similar but bigger events in the future,” said Philippine Aquatics Inc. secretary general Eric Buhain.

Evaluator Sees Bigger Meets Ahead

The competition was organized by PAI and sanctioned by the Southeast Asian Swimming Federation. It also required an outside assessor, which brought World Aquatics evaluator Damien Van de Berg of Australia to the island.

“For this event to be approved by World Aquatics, it must have WA evaluator for referees, so basically that is why I am here,” Van de Berg said. He called it an honor and a privilege to witness the joy and pride of those involved.

Asked if bigger meets could be staged here, the referee did not hesitate. “Absolutely. The infrastructure needs to be on a bigger scale but all the core parts are there,” he said.

His assessment carried a condition. “From what I have seen, there is a basis for the future of staging Asian open water championships and World Cups,” Van de Berg noted.

“They come with significant costs for the hosts and your government, but all you need to do is to scale up,” he explained. The veteran official has refereed four world championships.

The verdict on the local organizers was blunt. “Your local organizing committee should be congratulated for what has been a first-rate hosting. It was done pretty well,” he said.

“Sky is the limit for the Philippines in hosting future bigger open water meets,” Van de Berg added. He relayed the same message directly to Buhain.

PSC Bets on Sports Tourism

Buhain believes the groundwork is now in place. “The opportunities are there now that we have laid the foundation in organizing and hosting bigger international events because of the lessons learned and experiences we’ve had here,” he noted.

He also cited positive feedback from participants across the three days. The meet drew support from the National Sports Tourism Interagency Committee led by PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio.

The Aklan provincial and Malay municipal governments backed the event as well. Gregorio, whose sports tourism advocacy has become a byword in local sports, visited on the final day.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate sec-gen Eric Buhain and all the people behind the hosting of the 4th Southeast Asia Open Water Swimming Championships for a job well done,” Gregorio said.

He framed the meet as preparation rather than a finish line. “Indeed, this competition serves as a test run, a dress rehearsal for hosting bigger international open water in the future not only in Boracay but in our other attractive beach destinations,” he said.

That ambition sits inside a wider agency plan. “This is now our strategic, two-pronged approach in promoting and developing sports and tourism,” Gregorio said.

He described it as “providing platforms for our athletes to play against the best from overseas while generating income for our country in showcasing our tourist attractions.” For the PSC, Boracay is now the template.