How a summer clinic helped turn Dumaguete into a pickleball hotspot

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Before pickleball gained popularity in the capital of Negros Oriental, Bernabe Bustillo, a sports official and trainer, was among the first locals who helped launch what has since grown into a grassroots program for young athletes since 2024.

Bustillo, pickleball coordinator of the Negros Oriental Sports Confederation, said he introduced the sport to the City Sports and Youth Development Office after joining the 2023 Ultra Marathon from Dumaguete to Gihulngan.

“I was assigned as a technical official judge [and] I saw the doctors and nurses playing pickleball [in Guihulngan],” said Bustillo, adding that he saw its potential and asked help to start pickleball in Dumaguete when he returned.

The sport has since been included in the city-run Summer Sports Clinic in 2024, enjoining children aged 6 to 16 in free training across different sports activities from April to May at Pantawan People’s Park. 

What started with only 18 trainees grew to 45 in 2025 and at least 200 registered trainees in this year’s edition, Bustillo noted. 

“Awesome. Tremendous. The response of the people, from the younger generation to the [older] generation,” he said.

Grace Bustillo, Bernabe’s wife, also shared why they founded the Dumaguete Pickleball Club and became the first group in Dumaguete to organize a tournament in January 2024.

“A lot of people were curious what the sport was all about. Since then, we started playing at Pantawan and nagkadaghan [more joined],” she said. 

Aside from pickleball, the summer clinic also offers free training for ball and disc games (baseball, basketball, football, sepak takraw, softball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball), racket sports (pickleball, badminton), combat sports (arnis, boxing, karate-do, pencak silat, taekwondo, muay thai/kickboxing), and mind sports such as archery and chess.

Government support

The clinic has been an annual tradition in Dumaguete as part of the city government’s campaign to promote children’s physical, mental, and interpersonal development. 

According to Bustillo, the city-backed sports clinic remains important as it provides a free and accessible training space for beginners and families who cannot afford private courts.

“Usually, for beginners, they start here. When they already know pickleball, they stop playing here. For those who cannot afford private courts, this is a good avenue to play,” he explained.

However, the grassroots program currently relies on Bustillo, alongside his wife Grace and 12 volunteers, who train participants of the summer clinic.

Although they receive stipends from the local government, along with volunteers of other sports, Bustillo said the compensation is far lower given the growing number of enrollees every year. 

FUN SESSION. Bernabe Bustillo leads a flock of young trainees during a cooldown exercise at Pantawan Boulevard on Thursday afternoon, May 6, 2026. Photo by Kean Bagaipo

“There is a service fee, but you cannot compare it to private training. Even though there is government remuneration, we use that for our daily expenses, and we receive that after the program,” he said.

Bustillo added that sustaining the grassroots initiative in the coming years would require more trainers and volunteers to keep up with the growing demand.

“We need more trainers to assist the training, but because of the spirit of volunteerism, for the sport promotion and passion, they are enjoying it no matter how small or big [the service fee is],” he said.

Growing hub

As more commercial spaces continue to emerge, City Councilor Bencio Tan Jr. said Dumaguete is fast gaining another recognition as the  “Pickleball Capital of the Philippines” with over 50 public and private courts established across the city.

Marvin Kho, a private court owner in Barangay Cadawinonan, shared how his small court turned from a free neighborhood hobby place into a business hub in 2025.

“A lot of people keep asking me to add more courts so that they can play, since it’s very popular. Right now, we are at the peak of the sport, and hopefully, it will grow because it’s good for the players as part of their exercise,” Kho said.

On why Dumagueteños quickly embraced the sport, local player Jay Abola said pickleball perfectly suits the lifestyle of a “small city” because it is easy to learn and accessible to everyone.

“Unlike Manila, people in Dumaguete have more flexible schedules. That’s why people here have more time to play while managing school or work,” he said.

He added that Dumaguete, being a “University Town,” fueled the rapid growth of the sport as students are more “open and responsive” to new trends. 

Eric Julian Sanchez, a former varsity volleyball player, attributed the growth of pickleball in the city to the people who have different hobbies like him.

“Mga tawo diri [Dumaguete] kay they have different hobbies, and once naa’y hobby musikat, mu–spark gyud dayun,” he said in a mix of English and Bisaya. 

(The people here have different hobbies, and once there is a hobby that trends, it automatically sparks.)

COURT CRAZE. Athletes from Team Sypik bring their A-game during the final day of PlanOut Pickleball Open at the Riverside Court on May 3, 2026. Photo by Dumaguete City Tourism Office

Recently, Dumaguete hosted the PlanOut Pickleball Open, the biggest pickleball tournament in the Philippines to date, with a prize pool of ₱1 million.

It is also the first national tournament held in the city, drawing pickleball players and enthusiasts from the Philippine Collegiate League, Pro Padel League, Pickle Yard Conference League, and abroad. – Rappler.com

Kean Bagaipo is a Mover and student journalist based in Dumaguete City.