Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — It’s eight a.m. on a Saturday, and the six-hour session is about to begin. Tammy, a 31 year-old entrepreneur, is the first of the girls to arrive. She does yoga and running, and says she’s here for self-defense. “[I'm here to] Develop a bit of confidence and not be oppressed by men,” she says with a laugh. “You have that, like, fear in your mind, you know? It’s kind of like an instinct of fear that I want to gear myself up against. That’s the bigger picture.”

Boxing fans were treated to four title fights at the event dubbed Bakbakan sa Elorde, Saturday night at The Flash Ballroom, Elorde Sports Center in Parañaque City. Women’s boxing was the highlight for the evening, as Gretchen Abaniel outclassed Thai opponent Chamaporn Chairin to a one-sided decision; while heavy-hitting Gretel De Paz won the vacant Philippine Bantamweight Championship against tough veteran Christine Latube in a hard-fought affair.

The Philippine Sports Commission, in partnership with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, held a one-day women and girls boxing tournament, Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The event was part of the PSC’s women’s martial arts tournament and had two divisions, namely the Youth Girls Division and the Elite Women Division for members of the national team.

“3-a-side nga!” The abundance of goal clearances meant for a larger pitch elicited this response from a number of the players at the inaugural Pinay In Action 3-a-side Football Fiesta sa Bonifacio High Street. Held over Valentine’s weekend, the 2-day tournament at the High Street Amphitheatre at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, featured all-girls football action in the Girls 13 & Under, Girls 16 & Under, and the Women’s Open categories.

The first time I met Coach Marnelli “Let” Dimzon, 35, the players in the locker room whispered stories of her time with the women’s national football team. She had given birth via C-section and a few months later played in the Southeast Asian Games.  On this Sunday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, I ask her about the years old locker room chatter and she confirms it. “That was 2005,” she says. After giving birth in January, she started running again the following month, and by May was back on the national team.

Manila, Philippines – Instead of just the usual handshakes at the end of the match, players from rival schools, FEU and DLSU, assembled and gamely posed for pictures with each other at the conclusion of the championship game of the PFF Women’s Cup last Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. FEU edged out DLSU, 2-1, to retain the title they won last year, but as has been a staple at this edition of the tournament, before returning to their respective dugouts to cool down, players from both teams

It is a heavy day for the Philippine Women’s National Rugby Team. After months of twice a day trainings—one in the morning for strength and conditioning and another in the afternoon for field work—the Lady Volcanoes’ training pool is being cut down to the final 12 who will be representing the Philippines in the rugby 7’s event for the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. There are visible tears on some of the players as the coaching team breaks the news. There are also some sighs of relief

Being on the other side of the fence is a weird feeling. On one hand, I keenly remember the stress of living through Sundays of hotly contested collegiate-level football. On the other hand, and on most days now, the most physically taxing thing I do is commute to Makati. This is “real life” and the application of years of rigorous training have rendered me ready to fight my way through the MRT during the rush hour. The skill of kicking a ball, however, matters little else elsewhere. Indeed, thi

In a country of 100 million, it's safe to assume that there isn't a shortage of talent to be discovered. By sheer numbers alone, and granted that athletic ability is dispersed well along the Bell curve, we have what it takes to produce world-class athletes. Countries with much smaller populations than that of the Philippines have done it, so why can't we?