Organizers of the annual Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament are planning to position Baguio as a global golf destination, responding to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s national push to expand sports tourism.
Fil-Am co-chair and Baguio Country Club (BCC) general manager Anthony de Leon said they have begun discussions with the John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) to create “golf tourism packages” that would attract international golfers.
These would include playing at Camp John Hay and BCC, two of the country’s most scenic and historic mountain courses.
“We met with JHMC (John Hay Management Corporation) President Manjit Singh Reandi and we discussed the possibility of golf tourism—not just the traditional Fil-Am, but a partnership inviting international tourists and golfers,” said Anthony de Leon, co-chairman of the Fil-Am Golf and general manager of Baguio Country Club (BCC), said in an interview on Wednesday.
This initiative follows the issuance of Administrative Order No. 38, which established the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC) to synchronize efforts in developing and sustaining sports tourism nationwide.
De Leon noted that while the Fil-Am tournament, now in its 75th year, has primarily attracted golfers from specific regions, organizers are looking to expand their reach.
“We are also going to try other regions globally while promoting golf courses as part of the golf tourism project,” he added.
Now in its 75th year, the Fil-Am Golf Tournament continues to be the longest-running and largest amateur golf event in the Asia-Pacific region.
This year’s edition, set from November 25 to December 13, is expected to host a record 301 teams, up from 260 last year. There will be 1,500 golfers, including alternates. At least 25 percent of the teams come from overseas.
De Leon said the event’s enduring popularity is rooted in camaraderie and tradition. “It started with friendly games between government and military officials in the postwar era. Today, it has become a reunion for golfers across generations,” he said. (PNA)