Law establishing national academy of sports signed
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
THE law establishing the country a national academy of sports was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday in ceremonies held at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City.
Republic Act (RA) 11470, or the National Academy of Sports Act, seeks to institutionalize a specialized educational framework for secondary-level students who have shown a potential to excel in sports, affording them world-class facilities for training while continuing their high school education.
The academy will be placed under Department of Education, in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The proposed site for the academy is Capas, Tarlac, near the New Clark City facilties which were used during the 30th Southeast Asian Games here.
The bicameral conference committee report on the measure, a consolidation Senate Bill No. 1086 and House Bill No. 6312, was ratified by the Senate last May 11, followed by the House of Representatives a week later on May 19.
Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, chairman of the committee on sports and one of the principal authors of the bill, welcomed the signing of RA 11470, seeing it as something that would further sports development in the country.
“I firmly believe that with this law, we will be able to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of sports development,” Mr. Go said in a statement.
For its part, the PSC, too, welcomed the development and expressed its full support and cooperation for the success of the national sports academy.
“We are elated to see the hard work of our leaders in Senate and Congress come to fruition with this law,” said PSC Chairman William I. Ramirez, verbalizing the reaction of his office along with those of PSC Commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Arnold Agustin, Charles Maxey and Celia Kiram.
He went on to say that the PSC is committed to supporting and cooperating in the implementation of RA 11470’s provisions, recognizing its success as vital as well in the agency’s push to develop grassroots and elite sports.
