Even though Philippine Aquatics Inc. is probably one of the newest, if not the newest, regular member of World Aquatics, our beginnings can be considered to simply being at the right place at the right time.

In order to fully understand how the Philippine Aquatics Inc came about, is to look at what transpired as far back as 20 years building up to the formation of PAI in 2023.

20 years ago, the National Sports Association for swimming (it was changed to aquatics only in 2023) was called Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA).  Swimming back then became exclusive.  And the exclusivity caused a significant portion of the swimming community to surrender and distance themselves from the exorbitant membership fees and difficulty in getting accepted in the association.  Their numbers grew unbeknownst to the association.

In 2019, a group of passionate swimming contributors organized a group whose focus is simply to uplift the technical knowhow of our swimming coaches and called themselves Congress of Philippine Aquatics (COPA).  COPA basically went around the country and conducted coaching seminars that focused on the vital elements of the sport from technique, to strength and conditioning, even up to the psychological aspect needed by swimmers to perform at their best.  COPA was a contributor to the national effort of the official NSA back then, with no intention to discredit the then incumbent NSA the Philippine Swimming Inc (PSI).

Then the pandemic hit in March 2020, and swimming, most specially our beloved coaches, were very badly affected.  All swimming stopped for almost a year.  COPA shifted its focus in helping all the coaches it could reach out thru some financial assistance raised from swimming friends both here and abroad.  Suffice it to say, COPA was able to help over 400 coaches nationwide.

When swimming was finally allowed to commence once again, the coaches and their respective swimming teams themselves, decided that they would like to be members of COPA and we were able to organize in all 17 Regions in the entire archipelago.

And then the strangest thing happened in early 2023, the incumbent NSA for swimming, the Philippine Swimming Inc (PSI) was suspended by the world governing body, Federation International Natation (FINA).  A caretaker administrator was appointed by FINA through our own Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and was given instructions to conduct a new election for a new PSI Board, that would be all-inclusive.  That was when COPA received the invitation to join the said election for the new PSI administration. 

On June 8, 2023, the PSI election was held under the direct supervision of the World Aquatics (they changed their name from FINA to WA at that point in time) and, as you can imagine, with a 400 strong team base, COPA Regional Representatives won 16 out of the 17 Regional slots and from there, 10 out of the 11 Area Heads, identified in the PSI Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, were also won by COPA Regional heads.

On June 19, 2023, the World Aquatics officially recognized the election of the new Board of PSI, its Area Heads, and Executive Board.

The new PSI Board, appealed to the World Aquatics Congress on July 25, 2023 that it would be better off for the National Federation of the Philippines to be allowed to form a new Federation using a different name to distance ourselves from the past National Federation and to be able to gain a fresh start for the betterment of aquatics in the Philippines.  This was then supported by the World Aquatics Bureau with a favorable decision through a letter by its Executive Director, Brent Nowicki, on August 9, 2023.

And after a long but fulfilling process, finally on October 18, 2023, the Philippine Aquatics Inc. was officially accepted by the World Aquatics as its Member.

Soon After, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) officially recognized the Philippine Aquatics Inc as the sole NSA in charge of Aquatics in the Philippines.