House Oks National Academy for Sports bill to boost athletic potentials for young student athletes

March 4, 2020

The House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter  Cayetano Wednesday passed on third and final reading House Bill No. 6312 or the proposed National Academy of Sports (NAS) System Act that will soon enhance skills and talents of young Filipino students with full athletic potentials.

True to Cayetano’s promise of reinvigorating  national grassroots sports program after the success of the country’s hosting of the 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games, lawmakers voted with 206 affirmative and zero negative votes on the proposed bill that will establish a specialized high school for sports in New Clark City that will boost competitiveness of aspiring national athletes.

Under the proposed bill, the New Clark City in Capasy – which hosts the 20,000-seater athletics stadium, the 2,000-seater aquatics center, and an athletes’ village – shall be the main campus of the NAS.

The NAS Board of Trustees shall have the power to approve grant of scholarships, stipends, and such other allowances to deserving students based on the guidelines and implementing rules and regulations of the proposed Act.

“Sports is the best teacher of discipline. It instills passion, sacrifice, and patriotism among the youth and helps to bring positive transformation in the community. But more importantly, it is a potent tool to prevent young children from getting addicted to illegal drugs,” said Cayetano, who authored the bill.

Cayetano, who chaired the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee, also added the Philippines is a step closer toward the development of a grassroots sports program in the country.

The Philippine hosting of the 30th SEA Games has given the entire nation a renewed hope and paved the way for the “rebirth of Philippine sports,” he said.

HB 6312 aims to train high school students with strong athletic potentials in a specialized school that would serve as the premier training institution for world-class Filipino athletes and future sports heroes.

Under the proposed bill, the NAS is mandated to implement initially a secondary education program combined with a special curriculum in sports. It shall be geared to the early recognition and development of highly talented and exceptionally gifted children in the field and be a continuing source of excellent athletes and sports leaders for the preservation and promotion of competitive sports in the country.

The bill stipulates that a voard of Ttustees shall be formed consisting of the Department of Education Secretary as shairperson, the Philippine Sports Commission Chairperson as vice chairperson and the chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), executive director of the NAS System, and two representatives from the academe and sports community, respectively, as members.

The creation of a national academy for sports is one of the priority bills mentioned by President Rodrigo Duterte during his State of the Nation Address in July 2019.

The Philippines’ record-breaking triumph during the SEA Games inspired the members of the 18th Congress to start supporting student athletes at an early age.

House Committee on Youth and Sports Development chair Eric Martinez (2nd District, Valenzuela City) said the country needs to produce the next Carlos Yulo, the next EJ Obiena, the next Hidilyn Diaz, and all other Olympic qualifiers and world-class athletes.

“With the bill, the country will gather all the best sporting talents all around the Philippines and train them in a facility that will produce world-class and Olympic champions,” he said. DMS