IT’S all ahead full for the National Academy of Sports (NAS) after P1.86 billion has been proposed for the school’s full implementation in 2021.
Of the proposed budget, P264 million will be for personnel services and maintenance and other operating expenses and P1.60 billion will be for capital outlay, Education Undersecretary for Field Operations Atty. Revsee Escobedo told the Handang Isip, Handa Bukas Press Briefing recently.
The Department of Education and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are teaming up for the NAS’s establishment which was realized through Republic Act No. 11470 which was signed into law by President Duterte last June. The academy provides an avenue for secondary students who want to pursue a career in sports.
“The DepEd and PSC are working hand in hand on the initial preparations of the National Academy of Sports,” said Escobedo, adding that DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones would be the chairperson and PSC Chairman William Ramirez would be the vice chairman of the institution.
“The aim of establishing this National Academy of Sports is to implement a quality and enhanced secondary education program, integrated with a special curriculum on sports,” he added.
Forming a new strand in the education sector, the NAS System aims to design a special curriculum for athletic scholars, provide holistic quality education to the learners who are excelling in sports and integrate all sports academy to one governance and management system.
The NAS also intends to develop, strengthen and integrate future campuses into the system and provide world-class sports facilities to produce globally competitive athletes.
For the succeeding steps, the organization would create a NAS Road Map and focus more on the curriculum development, construct the NAS Main Campus at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, and draft its operational manuals to improve the system.
Briones, on the other hand, was delighted over the addition of the NAS in the education sector, saying it could give learners more avenue to pursue their specialization.