The visibility of various forms of gambling, drug addiction and high prevalence of criminality among the youth remained serious concerns of the municipality. Riding on one of the youth’s interests, the municipal government conceived a program on sports development in 1992. The youths in the barangays were encouraged to participate in sports activities of their choice with the municipal government providing free uniforms, meals and training. Inter-barangay sportfests were held quarterly to harness the skills and assess the progress of players in the spirit of competition and team unity. Coaches and trainers were also employed to develop promising and interested athletes.

Sports facilities were constructed such as the standard track and field and an olympic-sized swimming pool without using government funds. In 1996, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, inspired by the success of the provincial meet held in the municipality, released P5M to Madridejos for the construction of its sports center. The program also contributed to the growth of the economy due to increased economic activities in the municipality. Numerous athletes from Madridejos won in regional and national competitions. Aside from these athletic achievements, the academic ranking of Madridejos rose from 60th place to 10th place in the entire Cebu. Overall, the program had served 60% of the potential beneficiaries engaged not only in sports but also in livelihood activities, environmental protection and conservation.

This program is recognized as a Trailblazing Program, a finalist for the 1997 Galing Pook Awards.