Empowering our sports sector for present and future athletes

Our athletes bring pride and honor to the country whenever they compete abroad and win medals in their respective competitions. Beyond carrying the Philippine flag onto global podiums, they bear the hopes, dreams and aspirations of every Filipino as they represent the nation in various sporting arenas.

As chair of the Senate Committees on Sports and the Youth, and as an athlete myself, I am one with the nation in honoring our athletes. As your senator, it deeply concerns me to know that, despite our collective and continuing efforts, there are still instances when athletes lack proper equipment, adequate training facilities and sufficient financial support to sustain their preparations. This reality strengthens our resolve to continuously push for stronger policies and more responsive programs for the sports sector.

We welcome the recent final resolution of the Supreme Court, affirming its en banc decision ordering the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Corporation (PCSO) to remit mandatory funds intended for the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

The Supreme Court emphasized that under the PSC Charter, Republic Act 6847, the commission’s creation and funding are supported by the Constitution. Accordingly, PAGCOR and PCSO cannot refuse to fulfill their statutory obligations, specifically the remittance of five percent of PAGCOR’s annual gross income and 30 percent of the net proceeds from six PCSO sweepstakes or lottery draws.

I applaud the decision as it not only provides funds for present and future athletes, but it will also encourage our young people to aspire to become athletes someday and improve the infrastructure, equipment and services for future generations, especially with support from all relevant government agencies and the private sector.

But the work does not stop with this decision. I call upon the PSC to ensure that the funds are well spent with transparency, securing the best benefits for our aspiring and present athletes. I also urge stronger collaboration among the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, national sports associations and the private sector for the benefit of our athletes.

Central to my advocacy, as the Senate sports committee head, is the National Academy of Sports (NAS), established under RA 11470, which we authored and co-sponsored. Located in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, the NAS offers a dual-track system that integrates quality secondary education with specialized sports training, enabling young student-athletes to excel both academically and athletically.

In the 20th Congress, we filed Senate Bill 171, which seeks to regionalize the NAS to make sports development opportunities more accessible nationwide. We also filed Senate Bill 413, which aims to institutionalize the Philippine National Games as a premier national platform for discovering and nurturing athletic talent, particularly from the grassroots. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 678, or the proposed National Tertiary Games Act, seeks to establish a formal national collegiate multisport competition to further develop and showcase athletes at the tertiary level.

As the sponsor of the sports budget in the Senate, together with my fellow lawmakers, we continually push for support for the country’s sports development. We advocated for the repair and improvement of key sports facilities such as the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila and Philsports Arena in Pasig City, believing that providing athletes with proper training environments, equipment, nutrition and mental support is essential for their success.

In line with my sports advocacy, I am deeply grateful and honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Zamboanga Valientes. With or without an award, I will continue to support the development of sports in the country. Get into sports, stay away from drugs, to keep us healthy and fit.

Meanwhile, our team delivered assistance to various Filipinos nationwide over the previous week as they aided fire victims in Pasay City and Davao City. We extend our sympathies and condolences to the bereaved families of the victims of the Binaliw landfill collapse in Cebu City.

We also gave additional support to displaced workers in Moalboal, Alegria, Carcar City and San Fernando in Cebu, and in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. These displaced workers also received short-term employment from the national government after a 10-day period of work.

Rest assured that I will work hard to cater to the needs of our sports sector dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo at naniniwala ako na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos.