At the heart of some of our largest malls lie a haven for our national winter athletes. Despite being miles away from any natural snow, dozens prepare for a chance on the world stage. As mall-goers pass, skaters grace the ice to the awe of many amazed at what may be their first wisp of winter. But once training ends, they hand the rink to the children who may soon wave our flag or to recreational crowds whose admission fees effectively subsidize the national team’s feats.
While it may seem paradoxical that winter sports have planted itself in the Philippines, pioneers endeavored to give Filipinos a chance on the ice, distinguishing us as the first tropical country to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Fresh breeze
Sports is about bringing people together in the spirit of camaraderie and hard work. As it progressed, then came a new way to channel that very same spirit: the rink. From the gracefulness of figure skating to the physicality of hockey, the possibilities of what could be done in an ice rink were foreign yet exciting. However, the Philippines’ geography created a natural disconnect from winter sports. Regardless, the nation’s love for games on the rinks began long before the first sheet of ice was ever laid.
The start of street hockey sparked the interest of Filipinos as a new way to compete. Without specific rules, a fairly chaotic game captured the heart and soul of hockey, and its fierce competition kept the streets entertained with makeshift equipment. Soon thereafter, more buzz surrounding rink sports came as Disney’s “The Mighty Ducks” pushed them even more. With a movie backing it and local excitement starting to boom, the culture of sports on ice for the Philippines was bound for bigger and better opportunities.
Rink and retail
Ice rinks first became a wonder of Philippine mall culture because of Henry Sy. The father of Philippine retail drew his vision after discovering his love for ice skating during numerous travels abroad. In 1992, he inaugurated the Philippines’ first ice rink in the basement of SM Megamall, where most Filipinos had their first taste of frost. By staffing the rink with top roller skaters and flying in foreign trainers, the corporation helped develop homegrown coaches and even conduct formal lessons for mallgoers. Hundreds signed up for a safe and relaxing pastime for the youth, and as they progressed, recitals and competitions were organized to test their skills.
In 1993, SM-trained athletes embarked on their first international competition, where three Filipino skaters would eventually flash their medals in front of the media. As SM’s skaters grew more daring and developed, SM joined the Ice Skating Institute—an organization of owners, operators, and developers of ice skating facilities to send more athletes abroad.
In 2013, SM consolidated skating operations to the SM Mall of Asia and opened their first Olympic-sized ice rink. In the same year, their summer skate competition had earned their highest participant count yet, with a panel of judges witnessing around 340 aspiring athletes competing, one of whom was Michael Christian Martinez, a homegrown SM Olympian. However, while these investments turned the mall into a venue for excellence in a larger variety of winter sports, they also cemented a monopoly of convenience. Hence, the sport’s survival became inextricably linked to the retail giant’s bottom line.
Growth and gaps
What once felt like an unlikely pastime in a tropical country has evolved into a competitive scene, developing athletes who now train with international competitions in mind, not just for recreation. This small business venture among selected SM malls has turned the country into a rising force in winter sports in Asia. The Philippine Ice Skating Union not only regularly sends figure and speed skaters to international meets, but also returns with accolades in hand.
The women’s national ice hockey team secured silver in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, while their male counterparts claimed bronze. The country’s curlers also recently delivered a breakthrough Asian Winter Games gold.
Behind those achievements, however, is a fragile setup. Virtually, everything depends on commercial ice rinks inside malls. Athletes train in between public skating hours, their practice sessions are forced to compete with weekend crowds and regular mall traffic. While malls have played a crucial role in keeping these sports alive, business remains as their priority, not building a national training system.
On thin ice
Beyond medals and milestone finishes, fragility is also revealed in structure. Philippine winter sports rest on arrangements that are temporary by design as development pathways depend on private sponsorship cycles. What appears on paper as steady progress is, in practice, a constant adjustment to limitations that elite programs elsewhere would consider insurmountable.
Martinez’s career illustrates this issue. His Olympic qualification was framed as a breakthrough for a tropical nation, but the romanticized narrative of the tropical underdog often ignores the exhaustion of a support system pieced together season by season. Training abroad required external backers; competition schedules hinged on whether funding could be secured in time. As his presence on Olympic ice expanded belief, the instability surrounding it exposed the absence of a durable support system. The achievement was historic, but the system that carried it was patchwork, not a foundation.
That is why investment should not just be applause and cash incentives. What athletes need is steadiness throughout the journey to the top. Addressing needs such as dedicated training facilities where practice is protected, coaches who can commit long term, access to proper conditioning and recovery, and stipends that allow athletes to focus on training without constant financial anxiety, will always be the best payout for athletes with dreams within reach. Without that structural bedrock, each promising generation risks starting from the ground up again.
Our current progress proves that talent is definitely there. The next step is making sure that these talents work with stability. Mall rinks helped the sport begin, but only institutional commitment will move Philippine winter sports from the food court to a permanent place on the global stage.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s March 2026 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMar2026.
