Arnis, a traditional Filipino martial art that uses rattan sticks as weapon, is now the country's national sport.

President Arroyo has signed Republic Act 9850 declaring arnis as national martial art and sport of the country, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde announced Friday.

Remonde, an enthusiast of arnis, said he was happy with the signing of the law that made his childhood sport the national sport.

"I was able to train really inarnis, a little bit, forgotten about it now but it warms my heart that this is something talaga na sariling atin which has really made a name in international martial arts and so in recognition of this we have made and enshrined really arnis as the national martial arts or the national sport,” he said in a news conference in the Palace.

The law was signed last December 11 and would take effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or two national newspapers.

“The official adoption of arnis as national martial art and sport shall be promulgated by inscribing the symbol of arnis in the official seal of the Philippine Sports Commission,” the law read.

With the signing of the law, arnis would also become first sport competition that would be played by participating teams on the first day in the annual Palarong Pambansa.

The President assigned the Philippine Sports Commission to implement the law on the country’s new national sport.

The Department of Education, the National Commission for Culture and Arts, and the PSC were also directed to issue the rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of the law.