The Philippines’ national sports federations have increasingly turned to foreign-based Filipino athletes in their bid to strengthen national teams, expand the country’s talent pool and make a bigger impact on the international stage.
The Philippine rowing federation is the latest to embrace that approach, welcoming three promising young athletes with Filipino heritage as it looks to build a stronger pipeline for the future.
New Zealand-based Ross Llaneta, American-born Enzo Santos and Canada-based Jesu Matteo Manalo have joined the Philippine rowing national team program, with the three young rowers all born overseas to Filipino parents.
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Llaneta, 15, and Santos and Manalo, both 17, have been training in Manila for the past three weeks as they familiarize themselves with the national team setup and prepare for their first major international assignment representing the Philippines.
The trio recently appeared at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) media room, where they spoke about their experiences and their aspirations with the national team.
Their immediate target is the Asian Under-19 Championships in India, scheduled for December 1 to 7. The young rowers are currently undergoing intensive training under national team head coach Aliaksandra Tsekhanovich as they work toward earning a place in the Philippine delegation.
Although they will return to their respective countries after their current training stint, the three athletes are expected to remain part of the federation’s long-term plans as it continues to develop a wider pool of Filipino rowing talent.
Tsekhanovich believes the young rowers have already shown encouraging progress since arriving in the Philippines, while stressing the importance of using data and consistent monitoring to track their development.
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“We have our targets and we are working hard. They are improving every day, every row. We all dream big together – one dream. But we will track their performances through GPS,” Tsekhanovich said.
The inclusion of foreign-based athletes represents another avenue for the Philippine rowing federation to discover talent beyond the country’s traditional grassroots system.
With rowing requiring years of technical development, physical conditioning and international-level experience, the federation sees the addition of young Filipino athletes from overseas as an opportunity to establish a deeper talent pool that can eventually compete at major regional and global events.
The program also aligns with the Philippine Sports Commission’s renewed emphasis on grassroots development and talent identification. Rather than waiting for athletes to emerge at the senior level, the PSC has been pushing national sports associations to identify promising athletes at a much earlier stage and provide them with the necessary training and support.
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio, who has made grassroots development one of the commission’s priorities, welcomed the arrival of the three young rowers and believes their inclusion could be a significant step forward for Philippine rowing.
“Our search for rowing talents continues. These are stunning, positive developments for Philippine rowing,” Gregorio said.
For Llaneta, Santos and Manalo, the opportunity represents more than simply competing in international rowing. It is also a chance to reconnect with their Filipino heritage and represent a country that their families continue to call home.
Their presence gives the Philippines another potential pathway toward developing athletes capable of competing against the best in Asia.
At just 15 and 17 years old, the three rowers are still at the beginning of their competitive careers. But with the national federation investing in their development and the PSC backing a broader search for Filipino talent, the trio could form part of the next generation of athletes carrying the Philippine flag in international rowing.
For now, their focus is on training, improving their performances and earning the chance to compete at the Asian Under-19 Championships later this year.
And with the Philippine rowing program continuing to look beyond its traditional talent base, Llaneta, Santos and Manalo could be the latest young athletes to help shape the country’s future on the water.
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