PAAF became the rallying point of all agencies and individuals dedicated to the promotion of athletics in the country. It moved to enshrine the highest ideals of sportsmanship and fair play among athletes. The Federation was proud to show the world the products of its athletic programs in international meets. Amateur sports in the Philippines prospered, with Filipino athletes dominating in Asia. The PAAF was in the forefront of the move to put up public playgrounds and recreational facilities in the country, as it was the U.S. policy with then Public Parks Commissioner Dwight Davis, the Cup donor.

Another factor that contributed to growth of amateur sports in the country was the passage in 1925 by the Philippine Legislature of Act No. 3262 empowering the Federation to promote and encourage the development of all public recreation and amateur athletic facilities in the country. The country’s first ever participation in the "Olympic Games" in Munich in 1928 was significant when Teofilo Yldefonso won the bronze medal in swimming. Historically, only Tokyo and Manila were the sports capitals of Asia. The Act also created the position of National Physical Director in the Deparment of Public Instruction who was in liaison with the PAAF. Under this Act, the Federation constructed the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex which was completed in time for the Far Eastern Games in 1934.

In the 1960, Rome Olympiad and other international meets, the Philippines performed poorly. The nation’s sports leaders thought that the PAAF Charter was outmoded, obsolete and the activities were limited to the

Manila Area. The PAAF Executive Committee approved the Charter revision. Following a joint meeting of representatives of the PAAF and the Association for Advanced Athletics (AAAA), a composite bill was forged, with the measure passed in toto by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and approved by the President of the Philippines. Thus, it is now known as Republic Act No. 3135. The most profound change effected by the new PAAF Charter was the decentralization of the federation activities. Each of the national sports association was made authonomous, in charge of developing and promoting their own event.

THE FIRST TENNIS CLUBS

The first known clubs were the Manila Lawn Tennis Club, Laong Laan, Singalong A.C. and the Tondo A.C. tennis clubs. The Philippine Columbian Association (est. 1904) tennis courts at Taft Avenue became a favorite home to most of the players and officials of the PAAF and the Philippine Tennis Association. The founding fathers and members of the Philippine Columbian include Ponciano Reyes (first President), Jorge Alas, Carlos P. Romulo, Pio Duran, Vic Buencamino, Vicente Limson, Dr. Jose Barcelona, Antonio Sison, Mel Mathay, Sr., Carlos Fernandez and Ramon Ordoveza. The PCA also became a favorite venue for Open Forums concerning national and international issues. The most famous guest speaker ever to attend was Arnold Toynbee, an English historian. His chief work, A Study of History, attempted to analyze the principles determining the rise and fall of civilizations. On the playing field, many issues were also pointed out with highly-skilled tennis players like Francisco "Paking" Santos, Leopoldo Calixto, Ador dela Pena, Antonio Sison, Jose Cobarrubias, Oscar Hilado and Jess Sison, who always provided the youth with stiff competition and knowledgeable insights. "Genius" as Jess is foindly