Philip Juico

Philip Ella Juico was born on 14 December 1947. He completed elementary school at De La Salle in 1961, high school in 1965 and an AB-BSC degree in 1970. In high school he wrote sports for The LaSallite. In college he joined The LaSallian, serving as sports section editor from 1969 to 1970 and as associate editor through 1970. De La Salle University later inducted him into its Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 for his contribution to Philippine sports.

Early in his working life Juico consulted for Philippine agribusiness. After the 1986 People Power Revolution he entered national government as deputy minister at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and assistant secretary at the Department of Agriculture and Food. From 1987 he also held board and cabinet-cluster roles linked to rural development, including seats connected with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

President Corazon Aquino appointed him Secretary of Agrarian Reform in July 1987 to implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program created by Proclamation No. 131. He resigned in 1989 after the Garchitorena land deal in Camarines Sur drew accusations that an overpriced purchase could cost the government millions. Juico denied wrongdoing. On 16 July 1992 the Sandiganbayan acquitted him, finding no evidence of a willful attempt to defraud the government. He ran for the House of Representatives in 1992 with Aquino's endorsement but lost.

From 1996 to 1998 he chaired the Philippine Sports Commission under President Fidel V. Ramos. He later chaired the Philippine Super Liga and, from 2015 to 2022, served as president of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association, winning re-election in 2021. Athletics under PATAFA won eleven gold medals at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines. Juico was also vice president of the Asian Athletics Association and chair of its School and Youth Commission. A late-2021 dispute with pole vaulter EJ Obiena over coach-salary liquidations led the Philippine Olympic Committee to declare him persona non grata; he disputed the committee's jurisdiction. He resigned as PATAFA president on 18 June 2022 and was succeeded by Terry Capistrano, remaining as chairman emeritus. From 2002 to 2008 he was dean of the Graduate School of Business at De La Salle Professional Schools.

Juico married Margarita Penson in 1973. The couple had four children: Dinggay, Vincent, Joseph and Mayen. Joseph Juico, a Quezon City councilor, was among the family members who announced his father's death. Known widely by the nickname Popoy, Juico remained closely identified with De La Salle University throughout his public life.

Juico had serious health problems in later life, including a kidney transplant and diagnoses of prostate and nose cancer, with family accounts saying he had battled cancer since 2022. He died at Makati Medical Center at 8:18 p.m. on 31 October 2026, aged 78. His sons Vincent and Joseph announced the death the following day, saying he passed away peacefully in his sleep. PATAFA and Philippine sports officials paid tribute. A wake was held at Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park, Makati, with inurnment reported for 6 November 2026.

Juico's public career linked agrarian reform under Aquino, national sports governance under Ramos, and a long second act in athletics and volleyball administration. Supporters credited him with rebuilding PATAFA's competitive results, capped by the 2019 SEA Games gold haul, and with mentoring youth athletics through Asian Athletics Association roles. Critics focused on the Garchitorena controversy and the Obiena dispute that ended his PATAFA presidency. Successors and federation statements after his death emphasized gratitude for his leadership and lasting place in Philippine athletics history.