Aimed at furthering the transformation of the site by blending heritage preservation with modern sports development.
On Wednesday, April 22, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said that it has entered into talks with major Filipino conglomerate, SM Prime Holdings.
The two camps are discussing the possible landmark partnership that will further revitalize the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) anchored on sports, wellness, and cultural legacy—which is envisioned to make Manila’s historic district into a world-class sports and lifestyle hub.
PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio and SM Prime Chairman Hans Sy have initiated discussions, with the latter noting, “It encourages us to really come in now. You will see a lot of contribution from SM on how to enhance and elevate this area.”
Sy expressed his optimism after touring the RMSC with Gregorio, where they were also joined by top PSC and SM Prime officials.
For his part, the PSC chairman emphasized that the partnership remains exploratory at this stage, although the vision is already clear and that is to combine resources to safeguard the 92-year-old RMSC’s heritage while giving it an ultramodern facelift.
“This is a perfect partnership with world-class development. We realized how important, how historic and iconic the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is,” he told. “We all understand that we have to do this together, and we have to do this now.”
The PSC has since spearheaded a bold upgrading works of RMSC’s facilities, including a sweeping facelift of its Adriatico facade, which is in line with a transformation that could soon give rise to the Philippine Sports Plaza—envisioned as a vibrant retail and lifestyle hub that will elevate the entire neighborhood.
Among the undergoing extensive RMSC upgrades on the pipeline are the refurbishment of the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, the upgrading the football field to FIFA standards with natural grass and a seating capacity of 25,000 for international tournaments and a jog path/walkway inside the 10-hectare complex.
These upgrades reinforce the PSC’s vision of elevating Philippine sports facilities to global standards while positioning them as tourism magnets for international competitions.
Previously, Gregorio oversaw the installation of 120 solar-powered lights at RMSC, the paving of internal roads, and the opening of the track and field oval free of charge for public use in the afternoons and evenings, making the complex a safe and accessible space for Filipinos.
Gregorio said, “I admire and I’m thankful that the entire SM group visited. We were pleasantly surprised by their intention to understand what we are doing right these past 10 months and how we can pursue sports tourism.”
Sy is likewise leading the redevelopment of Harrison Plaza just across RMSC into a premier commercial and sports destination as SM Harrison, designed to mirror the success of SM Prime’s other facilities that are committed to boost Philippine sports.
Set to be completed by 2027, SM Harrison’s redevelopment plan includes a FIBA-standard basketball court, convertible into a multi-sport venue for volleyball, badminton, tennis, pickleball, padel, and table tennis. This positions the facility as a multi-sport competition hub for both local and international events.
With the possible PSC-SM Prime partnership, Manila is said to become a “world-class sports and tourism destination, blending history with modernity and ensuring that Filipino athletes and fans alike enjoy facilities that meet international benchmarks while honoring the country’s sporting heritage.”
SM Prime Holdings has built a reputation as one of the country’s strongest champions of sports advocacy, investing in world-class arenas, supporting ice-based sports like figure skating, speed skating and hockey, and creating accessible facilities for Filipino athletes and fans.
SM Prime’s established portfolio includes the SM Mall of Asia Arena, the soon-to-open SM Seaside Cebu Arena, and operates the SM Skating brand, which are Philippines’ only ice skating rinks at SM Megamall and Mall of Asia, with another rink set to open at SM Seaside Cebu.