Noting the pitifully low resources channeled into long-term programs for developing Filipino athletes, four senators have authored a bill to establish a Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS).
It will be a “dedicated national high school offering a secondary course with special emphasis on developing the athletic skills of the students through subjects pertaining to physical education and sports development,” said Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, one of the lead authors, adding that the school seeks to train and develop future generations of world champion Philippine athletes.
In sponsoring Senate Bill 1086 Tuesday for plenary consideration, Gatchalian said, “Ultimately, the end in view of this legislation is to unleash the potential of young Filipinos who have shown early potential of excelling in sports for a sports-related career.”
Coauthors of the proposal are Senators Christopher “Bong” Go, Juan Edgardo Angara and Pia Cayetano.
The PHSS is envisioned to be a world-class educational and athletics facility to be constructed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, Gatchalian said.
The PHSS will be under the supervision of the Department of Education, which, Gatchalian said, “has already expressed its unequivocal support for the establishment of the school.”
As proposed, the Board of Trustees of PHSS will be chaired by the secretary of Education and Philippine Sports Commission chairman will serve as PHSS vice chairman.
The PHSS board will be composed of the director of the PHSS, one representative each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and three representatives from different POC-accredited national sports associations to be nominated by their respective associations and appointed by the chairman of the board.
Gatchalian described the establishment of the PHSS as “the crucial first step toward achieving Philippine excellence in international athletics and providing our athletes with the support that they deserve as our representatives on the international stage.”