Integrating the best elements of the highly successful Project: Gintong Alay program that rekindled the country’s resurgence in international play from the early 1980s to the 90s will be a part of the initiatives of newly appointed Philippine Sports Commission chairman Jose Emmanuel “Noli” Eala.

“The best teacher is history and experience. There are many components of Gintong Alay. We will select the best parts of the program and make sure we are able to modernize them to the current situation,” Eala noted.

“I have had talks with Michael Keon and Joey Romasanta, who were part of the Gintong Alay program. We are starting to reach out to the people who have been involved in the golden years of Philippine sports.”

Eala made his sentiments for the program Monday morning following simple turnover rites where former PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez handed over reins of the government sports agency to his successor during the weekly flag-raising ceremony in front of the PSC headquarters inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Keon, nephew of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was the first project director of Gintong Alay, which was formed in 1979 and supported by a big budget, with its high-altitude training camp set up in Baguio City.

Romasanta took over as Gintong Alay project director in 1986 under the term of the President Corazon Aquino until 1988.

A former middle-distance runner, Keon conceived the program that targeted a select group of sports such as athletics, swimming boxing and cycling, among others, while identifying standouts in these respective disciplines who underwent intensive systematic and scientific training

Under his concept, the program involved a select group of sports such as athletics, swimming, boxing and cycling, among others, featuring outstanding athletes, who underwent scientific and systematic training to groom them for international play.

Among its products were former sprint star Lydia de Vega, veteran long jumper Elma Muros-Posadas, middle-distance sensation Isidro del Prado in track field, late boxers Leopoldo Serrantes and Leopoldo Cantancio, tennis player Dyan Castillejo and swimmers Christine Jacob and Billy Wilson.

Eala reiterated that among his top priorities was looking after the welfare of national athletes, both able-bodied and those with physical and mental challenges.

"We are really focused on ensuring that all our athletes are getting prepared for the competitions for next year. There are a lot of requests for support from the PSC. We are reviewing it already and hopefully we can have the budgets all approved," he said.

"We will begin to make sure that our (national) athletes are very, very competitive, that they get enough for their training heading to next year's competitions," he stressed, adding these includes the benefits due them under the law.

“We really want to ensure that we have equality in all the support that we give, whether they are regular or para athletes. We will do all we can (for them),” he said. “I have already talked to Philippine Paralympic Committee president Mike Barredo and will revisit the program for para-athletes.”

With grassroots sports development as part of its mandate under Republic Act 6847, which created the PSC, Eala said, “we already have plans afoot in reviewing our grassroots participation. I am laying down a program that is going to be extensive, hopefully in partnership with many (other) government agencies.”

Another wish list, he said, was to meet with the leaders of the Philippine Olympic Committee led by POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, disclosing that he was set to have a dialog over dinner with the POC chief and the POC board Wednesday evening.

"That is a meeting that I have wanted and we will have it tonight over dinner together with some of the POC board members," the PSC chairman said.

"Nag-usap na kami ni president Bambol and he agreed to sit down us. He has assured me of his support. I have assured him of my cooperation and of course of my commitment to the NSAs and to the POC," Eala said. "I've known president Bambol for a very long time and believe that we will be able to work very well together."

The new PSC honcho said that he had no intention of outdoing Ramirez, who achieved numerous milestones during his watch, topped off by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz delivering the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Summer Games last year.

"I don't have any intention in competing with chairman Butch in terms of his record. They are very big shoes to fill," he pointed out. "All I want is to build on his gains and make sure that we are able to complete the mandates of the PSC."

But Eala, who had a long chat with his predecessor a day after he took his oath in Malacañang on Aug. 31, said he would not mind drawing from the experience and knowledge of the two-time PSC chairman.

“I want to get more of his (Ramirez's) vision so that our work will be much easier. My talks with chairman Ramirez have been very refreshing."

For his part, Ramirez, who met his former staff for the first time since stepping down at the end of June, urged the PSC executives and rank-and-file to support the new PSC chairman.

“Eala needs our help, our support. For, if he succeeds, Philippine Sports Commission will succeed, and Philippine sports will succeed," he said.