Deputy Speaker Michael Romero (File photo)
MANILA – A leader of the House of Representatives said Thursday the creation of a National Academy of Sports (NAS) would serve as a motivation for student-athletes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Deputy Speaker Michael Romero said the NAS would boost the spirit of the country’s national athletes and aspiring sports heroes who need to continue training in their homes and in isolation from others to avoid catching the disease.
Romero said the Department of Education (DepEd) can get the governing board organized, work out the details, create the systems, design the academic programs, and secure the funding while athletes wait for the government to address the health crisis.
“By the time everyone who needs to be vaccinated for Covid-19 (is) inoculated, the NAS should be able to formally open its doors to welcome its first students,” he said. “We must get this right. This NAS (system) is a crucial component of our national goal to win golds at the Olympics and reign supreme in world championships.”
Romero said the next major step is the creation of a sports state university.
“However, if the government is unable to establish and operate a sports university soon, I am hoping the private sector can come together to build the country's first private sports university,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) 11470 creating the NAS in a simple ceremony in Davao City on June 9.
With the establishment of NAS, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the country would be able to raise the student-athletes’ competitiveness in the field of sports and produce world-class athletes in the future.
Under the new law, the NAS is tasked to implement a secondary education program that is integrated with a special curriculum on sports to help young Filipino athletes develop further their sporting skills.
RA 11470 grants full scholarship to qualified student-athletes.
The main campus of the NAS will be established at the newly constructed New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac.
According to the law, the sports academy would be equipped with the necessary sports facilities, housing, and other amenities that are based on current international standards.
School buildings with enough number of classrooms and facilities will also be constructed at the complex.
The DepEd, in close coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), is directed to develop the athletic skills and talents of students in facilities at par with international standards.
The DepEd secretary will chair the academy’s Board of Trustees while an executive director appointed by the education chief and has an expertise in sports will head the NAS.
The new law allows the academy’s board to approve the hiring of licensed foreign coaches, trainers, and consultants duly-certified by PSC to ensure the international competitiveness of the student-athletes. (PNA)
