The Philippine Sports Commission looks to be more active in assisting the Department of Education in the 63rd Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City from 29 July to 5 August.

In an interview with Daily Tribune, PSC commissioner Matthew "Fritz" Gaston said they want everybody involved in the project to cooperate in line with the recent State of the Nation Address by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos yesterday on improving education.

Last Friday, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte inspected the Marikina Sports Center and signed a memorandum of agreement to finalize the details and formally resume the nationwide competition canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gaston also said the PSC ordered the national sports associations to watch the games of the Palaro as well.

"Sports might not have been directly addressed but he did mention education. We stressed in our sports program that we need to have a close relationship with the schools, with DepEd but also with LGU. There should be collaboration and cooperation among our shareholders in sports, which includes DepEd and sports leaders," Gaston said in a phone conversation.

"Our marching order is for the NSAs to watch the game of the Palarong Pambansa. All of us have to be working together with NSAs and we need to be working hand-in-hand like in this event like the Palaro. We have to cooperate."

The Palarong Pambanssa was started in 1948 and is currently handled by DepEd in hopes of promoting physical education and being a springboard for up-and-coming athletes.

Marcos hopes that with schools going back to pre-pandemic settings will help them educate the youth and avoid vices.

"We have renewed hope in giving the best to our next batches of students, especially that 28.4 million learners who returned to school this year. Learning recovery will be at the forefront of our education agenda," Marcos said.

"We are recalibrating the K-10 curriculum. We continue to exhaust all efforts to keep our young people away from the sinister influences in the dark corners of society."