Coming from a passionate group that managed to plant the seeds for the growth of Philippine rugby football, Ada Milby hopes to use her knowledge on a grander scale as she runs for a seat in the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).

Milby is ready to share the experiences she gained from wearing numerous hats as the first woman representative in the World Rugby Council, an executive in Asia Rugby and the Philippine Rugby Football Union (PFRU), as well as being a playing coach in the national team.

According to the independent POC second vice president candidate, the sustainable growth of Philippine rugby was the key to reaping many benefits for its athletes. 

“Both our men’s and our women’s national athletes have had like the most number of tournaments that they’ve competed in since the start of that strategic plan,” said Milby.  

“Especially the boys, they were you know trying to go for Olympic qualifications and also the World Cup qualifications. The women were at a different stage in our development, but you know the preparations for the SEA Games, we never had as much support as we do now.” 

In the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the Philippine Volcanoes men’s team reclaimed the gold medal, while the women’s team bagged a silver after both squads finished 4th place in the 2017 edition. 

Now, Philippine rugby clubs are also flourishing because of the the equitable and transparent distribution of funds resulting from PFRU’s push for sustainability. 

Based on the success of local rugby, Milby envisions each sport in the Philippines to have a strategic plan and to provide national sports associations with the needed support for good governance, that will lead to the sustainability of the sport. 

“Our strategic plan included all of our clubs, our staff or coaches, we had athlete representation, we had sponsor representation, we had government representation. Everyone’s voice was heard and everyone contributed to the process,” Milby shared a glimpse of her vision. 

For Milby, having a team that is geared toward a common goal, while practicing good governance was also the key to unlocking the benefits of the strategic plan. 

Philippine rugby overcame its stigma of being an “expat sport” as PRFU developed strong coaching structures with a goal of creating a fully homegrown national team. (High on rugby: Letts dreams of homegrown national team)

Now, the rugby 7s game is included in major national youth tournaments like the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy. 

“So, how can the POC be a good coach for the NSA, to coach them to be better organizations, to have good governance, to have good policies, to have good selection criteria for their national programs,” said the former Philippine Volcanoes women’s team captain.  

“You can think of a bunch of programs and stuff, but if you’re guided by the strategic document, and you’re guided by how you can support the NSA on an ongoing basis, then that would be the two most key things that I would be pushing for.” 

Milby will be running against former national athlete Richard Gomez, who is running under the ticket of incumbent POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino in his reelection bid on Friday, November 27 at East Ocean in Pasay City. – Rappler.com