Student sports program offers food as reward

The Rizal High School grounds in Pasig City, one of the biggest secondary education facilities in the country, is again busy with sports activities in September 2022 after more than two years under a pandemic lockdown. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Isabela Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III has introduced a measure that would motivate students — using food as an incentive — to take part in a government sports program during their annual school break.

Dy, chair of the House Committee on Youth and Sports, has filed House Bill No. 9604, or the proposed Youth Participation in Sports Act, which would task the Department of Education (DepEd) to establish a sports program for students who would be given food in exchange.

“In providing incentives for the youth to engage in sports activities, it is envisioned that the risk of exposure to drugs or other unproductive elements or activities is reduced, if not eliminated,” Dy said.

According to him, during the two-month school break, students, “especially those coming from the marginalized sector of our society who do not have resources to pay for activities, are left with plenty of idle time.”

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“Boredom sets in and creates opportunities for idle thoughts to sneak in,” Dy added.

Dy said that his draft measure was intended to keep students “engaged, active and, hopefully, happy” as it aimed to make permanent the school break sports program.

HB 9604 tasks the DepEd to work with the Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to formulate a sports program during the annual school break, which starts in the latter part of June until August. For about a month, students will be encouraged to take part in physical activities although board games will also be allowed such as chess, dama (checkers), and jigsaw puzzles.

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“All students shall be encouraged to participate in such sports programs to be conducted on school premises and available local public facilities such as multipurpose centers, barangay halls, gymnasiums, etc.,” the bill said.

To encourage participation, the DepEd, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall provide food incentives to students participating in the sports activities.

“Rations of rice and/or other food items shall be given to each student, as determined as appropriate by the DepEd and DSWD. The source for such food items shall be likewise at the discretion of the DSWD,” according to the bill.

The DepEd will also be in charge of monitoring the attendance of students and the distribution of incentives before the end of the day.

“Allocation of incentives to absent students, or giving thereof to nonparticipating students shall be a violation of this Act,” the bill warned.

It also tasks barangay health workers to check the health and physical condition of participants before and after the program with teachers tapped to observe the condition of each student daily.

Initial funding for the program will be sourced from the DepEd and the DSWD appropriations with subsequent funds to be included in the annual national budget.