MANILA, Philippines – MILO® has reached a new milestone in its mission to make sports accessible to all Filipinos, introducing over three million kids to various sports and hosting the country’s first fully inclusive marathon for persons with disabilities. These efforts, supported by partners including the Philippine Sports Commission and Department of Education, underscore the brand’s expanded focus on grassroots development and inclusivity.
“In MILO® we believe that ‘Sports is a great teacher’,” shares Carlo Sampan, assistant vice president of MILO® Philippines and Head of MILO® Sports. “It teaches both kids and adults many lessons that they can use in their sports and life, including grit, the value of teamwork, and most importantly, discipline.”
Year on year, MILO® has been able to increase its reach by 50% as they continue to support grassroots sports development nationwide. Through these efforts, MILO® has engaged 3 million children—nearly half of all Filipino kids aged 7–12—opening opportunities for them to participate in various sports. MILO® remains committed to nurturing the next generation of athletes and instilling the values that sports bring to life.
MILO® continues to inspire young athletes nationwide through its extensive sports clinic program, partnering with over 42 sports organizations and conducting more than 1,200 clinics across the Philippines. Recent collaborations include the Philippine Pole Vault Club, SWIM Philippines, Zamboanga Football Club, the Philippine Bowling Federation, and more, providing aspiring athletes with hands-on training, mentorship, and opportunities to develop their skills.
The MILO® Marathon Surigao leg held during National Disability Rights Week became a very memorable venue for people with various disabilities who were given a chance to run their very first marathon.
Organized in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the event was designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind. Most notably, the brand redesigned their wayfinding systems to make it easier for runners to navigate the race. Additionally, a sensitivity training booth was also put up to help persons without disabilities better understand how to deal with persons with disabilities–creating a community that truly understands each other’s needs.
July was also the month when MILO® formally launched SAFE Swim, a drowning prevention program in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross. It aims to teach kids and parents water safety including how to stay afloat while in water and what to do in cases of emergency.
The program had a total of 27 sessions throughout the year and a total of 1,593 of parents and kids as participants. This initiative came about after discovering that drowning is the one of the most common causes of death among children aged five to 14 in the Philippines.
All throughout the year, MILO® continues to help make sports accessible to kids from all over the country through its iconic MILO® Sports Clinic. Mounted in partnership with various sports centers, including BEST Sports Center Inc., this program has served as an entry point for roughly 3 million children to try various sports last year, including basketball, volleyball, chess, gymnastics, pole vault, taekwondo, and archery, among many others. Similarly, the MILO® Marathon also successfully completed 25 legs last year, garnering a total of over 180,000 participants from all over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampan ends, “MILO® is known for supporting athletes from grassroots to greatness because the brand has always believed that great, globally recognized talents can be found everywhere. But through the joint efforts of the brand and our different partners to make sports more inclusive, we realized that greatness can also be defined by personal wins. These are all things we want every Filipino to have access to.”
