IN August 1976, Grandmaster Hong Sung Chon, then a 6th dan elite black belter, brought taekwondo to our shores. He was one of 100 elite black belters dispatched by the World Taekwondo Federation to propagate it until it became an Olympic sport in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics. What began as a modest, discipline-focused movement has evolved over half a century into one of the most vibrant, respected and culturally impactful athletic institutions in the nation, the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA).
The PTA marked its golden jubilee with a Gala at Okada Manila, attended by Kukkiwon World Taekwondo president Yun Eun Suk; its former chairman Hong Moon-Jong; former president Oh Hyun Deuk; and its senior secretary Lee Sang Heon. Plaques of recognition with given to PTA founder Hong Sung Chon; Nestle Vice President Veronica Cruz; PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio; and POC president Abraham Tolentino. Kukkiwon awarded honorary 5th dan black belts to Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., Gregorio, Tolentino and yours truly.
The occasion served as a monumental reminder of how a martial arts sport transformed into a national movement for character formation, athletic dominance and collective pride. It reflected a half-century of continuous service and steady institutional growth. In my remarks last Saturday, I said:
“We’re celebrating a legacy that has shaped generations of Filipino lives, and that I was privileged to have been part of that journey from almost the very beginning when I became Grandmaster Hong’s earliest students in 1977 along with Gibo Teodoro, Stephen Fernandez, Migz Zubiri, Grace Poe and Evelyn Lim. That was the beginning of a journey that has now lasted half a century.”
In the past half century, PTA’s national teams earned high individual and team honors at the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Taekwondo championships, and the Olympics. PTA’s national teams have consistently demonstrated that our taekwondo jins can stand proudly and compete successfully against the best athletes in the world.
Behind every medal was years of training. Behind every victory was discipline. Behind every champion was sacrifice, teamwork, perseverance and the determination never to give up. They represent generations who built and strengthened PTA’s ecosystem — from dojangs and schools to communities across the country.
Tonight, we celebrate not only medals and championships. Most of all we honor character, discipline and the Filipino spirit that refuses to be defeated.
Taekwondo introduced a radically different ethos to the Filipino youth: the harmony of mind, body and spirit governed by five core tenets: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. Through rigorous belt examinations, regional seminars and unwavering dedication, the PTA structured what would become one of the most organized grassroots sports frameworks in Southeast Asia.
The seeds planted in the late 1970s quickly yielded international triumph. By the 1980s and 1990s, Philippine taekwondo had established itself as a formidable power in international competition. Athletes like Monsour del Rosario — who clinched bronze at the 1985 World Taekwondo Championships in Seoul, silver at the 1986 Asian Games, and reached the quarterfinals in the 1988 Seoul Olympics — proved that Filipino athletes are world-class.
The succeeding decades produced champions like Stephen Fernandez, Bea Lucero, Roberto "Kitoy" Cruz, Tshomlee Go, Ernesto Guzman, Ranni Ann Ortega, Jean Pierre Sabido, Igor Mella, Jocelyn Ninobla, Antoinette Rivero, Kurt Barbosa, Elaine Alora, Samuel Morrison, Pauline Lopez and Tachian Mangin. They ensured that the Philippine flag was repeatedly raised at the SEAG, Asian, World Championships and the Olympics.
While elite podium finishes brought national headlines, the true heart of the PTA’s 50-year legacy lies in its transformative impact on the youth. Over the past five decades, the cumulative total of Filipinos who have experienced formal instruction exceeds three million. Through a vast network of dojangs (formal taekwondo training gyms) in schools, community centers, provincial chapters, and major collegiate leagues like the UAAP and NCAA, taekwondo became a primary laboratory for character development.
There, young practitioners learn the value of physical sweat, delayed gratification, and profound respect for elders and peers. Taekwondo has been a great social equalizer in Philippine sports, providing an accessible pathway for young men and women from all socioeconomic backgrounds to earn academic scholarships, join national training pools, and represent the country overseas.
Poomsae — the noncontact forms discipline — expanded the sport's reach even further, allowing athletes to showcase technical precision, synchronized artistry, and mental focus on the global stage. When a taekwondo jin bows before entering a mat, or offers a gesture of respect to an opponent after a hard-fought match, they demonstrate life lessons that extend far beyond sport. The PTA doesn’t merely produce sparring champions; it helps raise generations of upright, resilient citizens.
The ongoing development of the state-of-the-art National Taekwondo Center inside the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila funded by the Philippine Sports Commission under Gregorio, and designed to house 100 national jins with dedicated competition arenas, will ensure that the next generation of taekwondo jins will train in world-class facilities. With additional funds provided by the PTA, Grandmaster Hong’s dream will soon come true.
The 50-year story of the PTA testifies to what vision, structural discipline, and institutional unity can achieve. It teaches that national pride isn’t built overnight, nor is it the result of occasional luck. It’s forged through thousands of hours of repetitive practice, decades of unyielding grassroots development, and a firm belief in the potential of the Filipino youth. Under Grandmaster Hong’s exceptional leadership, the PTA has laid the ground for its next chapter.
As the PTA steps boldly into its second half-century, its mission remains unchanged: to kick down barriers, forge character out of adversity, and uplift the spirit of the nation — one belt, one champion and one young Filipino at a time. Grandmaster Hong, now a 9th dan black belter and former Kukkiwon chairman, along with his core team of administrators, coaches, trainers and referees deserve the highest commendation for steering the PTA with unwavering devotion, passion and commitment.
Rafael M. Alunan 3rd is president of the Philippine Taekwondo Association, chairs the Management Association of the Philippines’ resilience committee, and a former interior and local government secretary.
