Duterte Signs Into Law the Establishment of the National Academy of Sports

With everything that has been happening both in the country and in other countries as we're dealing with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic as well as political issues such as the battle against racism, this is good news not just for our sports industry but more importantly for our education system. 

Just last month, the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines, followed by the House of Representatives, ratified of the bill which would create the National Academy of Sports, and a signature from President Rodrigo Duterte was the only missing piece to the puzzle. And now, that puzzle is completed as the president, in a simple ceremony yesterday in Davao City, signed the consolidated version of the bill which would be now known as the Republic Act 11470 or simply as the National Academy of Sports (NAS) Act. This will now establish an educational institution in which student-athletes will be able to give the right curriculum that will allow our future national athletes to finally catch up with the rest of the world. 

In a statement, Senator Bong Go, one of the law's principal authors, said the establishment of the NAS will allow student-athletes to "Enjoy a level of training that is at par with the best of the world and, will be given high-quality education"  while adding that it's about that the country has an educational facility which sole focus is to train and educate student-athletes.

The new law states that the National Academy of Sports will be having a secondary education curriculum that is integrated with the district sports programs. Aside from allowing our future athletes to catch up with the rest of the pack, the campus, which will sit close in proximity to the facilities that were used in last year's Southeast Asian Games in New Clark City in Tarlac, will be used to develop the athletic skills of young Filipino athletes by providing the best sports facilities inside a campus that can host a big number of students. 

In a separate statement, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Butch Ramirez said that he and the rest of the sports officials "are elated to see the hard work of our leaders in the Senate and Congress come to fruition with this law" while also expressing the full support and cooperation of the PSC in the success of the soon-to-be-up NAS. NAS will be working under the supervision of the PSC and the Department of Education. The law also states that NAS will be allowed to hire foreign coaches, trainers, and consultants as long as they are certified by the PSC. 

While the ongoing pandemic has forced sports globally to go on a hiatus, aspiring Filipino athletes will now have an educational institution which by law, is ordered to provide the necessary training to transform these young athletes into world-class athletes.  

Photo is from the Philippine Information Agency