MANILA – The best shuttlers all over the country will see action in the Philippine Open scheduled July 7-12 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The weeklong tournament organized by the Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) has a whopping PHP1 million prize pool.

“This is the biggest event for the Philippine Badminton Association because this annual event attracts the best shuttlers from all across the country,” PBAD secretary-general Carla Lizardo-Sulit said in a press statement Thursday.

Players seeking to join the national team are expected to join the Philippine Open, which is a Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Super 1000 event.

“It’s the biggest source of points in our local ranking system so if you want to earn a shot in the national team, this is it,” Lizardo-Sulit said.

Last year, Jewel Angelo Albo bagged the men's singles title and Mika de Guzman was crowned women's singles champion.

Lea Inlayo and Nicole Albo won the women's doubles title while Christian Bernardo secured the men's doubles title with Ariel Magnaye and the mixed doubles title with Alyssa Leonardo.

The PBAD is mapping the way toward its ultimate goal of sending Filipino shuttlers to the Olympics.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to have a badminton Olympian by Los Angeles 2028," Lizardo-Sulit said. (PNA)