Gregorio: Siargao WSL stop a historic breakthrough for Philippine sports
The Manila Times · 11/4/2026, 3:09:30 PM Philippine time
Excerpt from The Manila Times. Read the original report below for the complete story.SIARGAO, Philippines — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio believes hosting the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour at Cloud 9 is a major breakthrough for Philippine sports, opening the door for Filipino surfers to compete on the world stage.Gregorio described the competition as one of the biggest events in international surfing, even comparing its stature to the premier tournaments in other sports. “If you talk about the NBA, this is like the NBA Finals. If you talk about Formula One, this is like Formula One. This is the French Open of surfing,” Gregorio said. The Philippines Pro presented by the PSC was the 11th stop of the Championship Tour, bringing some of the world's best surfers to Siargao before the circuit heads to Hawaii for its season finale. For Gregorio, however, the significance of the event goes beyond the international attention it brings to the island. He sees it as an…