MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the proposed establishment of the National Academy of Sports (NAS) in the country, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Bong Go said Wednesday.
Gatchalian chairs the Senate basic education committee, while Go chairs the sports panel.
Republic Act No. 11470 or the National Academy of Sports Act seeks to boost the development of sports in the Philippines and to develop world-class Filipino athletes
Napirmahan na po ni Pangulong Duterte ang batas para maisakatuparan ang National Academy of Sports! Ang tagumpay na ito ay para sa ating mga batang atleta na nangangarap na magbigay karangalan sa ating bansa. #education pic.twitter.com/5JDYKY3usr
— Win Gatchalian (@WinGatchalian74) June 10, 2020
“It is about time that we establish a learning institution focused on sports,” Go said in a statement to INQUIRER.net. “Ngayon na magkakaroon na ng National Academy of Sports, sabay nang mabibigyan ang mga kabataang atleta ng pagkakataon na mag-training at makapag-aral sa isang world class na pasilidad at eskwelahan.”
[Now that there’s going to a National Academy of Sports young athletes have the opportunity to train and study at the same time in a world class facility and school.]
The main campus of the NAS will be established at the existing New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac, and will be constructed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
It would also mandate the organization of future nationally-funded regional high schools for sports.
The NAS will be attached to the Department of Education (DepEd) together with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
The incumbent DepEd secretary will be the chairperson of the academy’s Board of Trustees while an executive director, as appointed by the DepEd chief and preferably someone who hails from the field of sports, will head the NAS and will be responsible for the academy’s administration and operation.
The bicameral conference committee report of the said measure, which reconciled Senate Bill No. 1086 and House Bill No. 6312, was ratified by the Senate last May 11.
The House of Representatives ratified the report last May 19.