THE Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PHI-NADO) conducted the inaugural rollout of its Regional Anti-Doping Education Program (ADEP) in Cebu City, marking a significant milestone in expanding anti-doping education across the country and reinforcing the Philippines’s commitment to promoting clean sport at the grassroots level.
As a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code 2021, PHI-NADO continues to strengthen its nationwide anti-doping education initiatives by bringing World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-compliant education closer to athletes and sporting communities beyond Metro Manila.
The Regional ADEP aims to to equip athletes, athlete support personnel and key stakeholders with the knowledge, values and practical tools needed to make informed and ethical decisions in sport.
Recognizing Cebu as one of the country’s premier sporting hubs, the program supports PHI-NADO’s goal of establishing a sustainable and culturally grounded anti-doping education system at the local government unit (LGU) level.
Through the collective efforts of athletes, coaches, educators, healthcare professionals, parents, and local officials, the initiative seeks to cultivate a shared responsibility in protecting the integrity of sport and building clean sport communities across the region.
The two-day program-held July 31 to August 1-brought together 200 participants each day, representing athletes, coaches, athlete support personnel, medical professionals, teachers, school administrators, parents and LGU officials under the theme’Building Clean Sport Communities.’
Participants engaged in comprehensive discussions on the fundamentals of anti-doping, athletes’ rights and responsibilities, the doping control process, the Prohibited List, Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs), supplement risks, food-first approach and the importance of values-based education in fostering ethical decision-making.
Cebu City Sports Commission (CPSC) chair Dr. Rhoel Dejaño underscored the importance of strengthening anti-doping education at the local level to safeguard the future of Philippine sports.
Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Edward Hayco, meanwhile, highlighted the profound influence of sports in shaping the character and values of children and young athletes.
Hayco emphasized that because sport serves as a powerful platform for developing discipline, integrity, and respect, it is the shared responsibility of families, educators, coaches, sports organizations and local communities ‘to protect young athletes from threats that undermine the spirit of sport and to foster environments where they can thrive with honesty and fair play.’
The participants actively took part in interactive learning sessions, discussions and practical activities designed to reinforce the core values of clean sport.
The Cebu ADEP marked the beginning of PHI-NADO’s efforts to institutionalize regional anti-doping education throughout the Philippines.
By empowering local stakeholders through accessible, values-based and WADA-compliant education, the PHI-NADO-headed by Dr. Alejandro Pineda, continues to strengthen the nation’s commitment to protecting athletes and ensuring that every Filipino athlete has the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.