Press Release
February 26, 2020

Senate gives green light to Philippine High School for Sports

The most universally understood language is not English. Nor is it French or Chinese. Rather, it is sports, said Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture.

Sports is the international lingua franca of competition, cooperation and mutual respect, Gathalian said.

Gatchalian steered the approval of Senate Bill No. 1086 today, seeking to create and establish the Philippine High School for Sports "to train and develop future generations of world champion Philippine athletes."

Despite the fact that Filipinos love sports, he said the Philippines has been lagging behind other countries in sporting competitions and events. For instance, he said, while the Philippines has been participating in the Summer Olympic Games since 1924, Filipino athletes only garnered 10 medals, and not a single gold medal. Of the 13 Philippine athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Gatchalian noted that the silver-medal garnered by Hidilyn Diaz in the women's weightlifting was the country's only sport in the podium in any event.

Filipino athletes, he said, lack the support due them that other countries give to their athletes.

While many foreign governments invest billions of money to support their athletes, he said, the Philippines has allocated only P207 million to the Philippine Sports Commission for 2020. He said the passage of SBN 1086 into law would establish 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.

"The end 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," Gatchalian said.

He said the Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS) would be a world-class educational and athletics facility which is at par with international standards. The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) shall provide the land for the PHSS at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac and shall be in charge of the construction of classrooms, dormitories, other sports facilities and related amenities.

The PHSS shall offer full or partial scholarship programs to students who have demonstrated the potential of excelling in sports. It shall at the same time provide its students with quality secondary education in their chosen tract which shall not be limited to the sports track. It shall be under the supervision of the Department of Education.

According to an article in thoughtco.com, athletics has a profound impact on individuals, schools and communities. It is powerful because it can bridge gaps, bring people who otherwise might not interact together and provide opportunities not available elsewhere.

Benefits derived from having a successful athletics program in school include career and relations opportunities, camaraderie and togetherness, individual motivation and essential life skills such as effort, determination, self-discipline, teamwork and time management.

Aside from Gatchalian, the bill was co-authored by Senators Sonny Angara, Christopher Lawrence Go, Pia Cayetano, Majority Leader Migz Zubiri, Bong Revilla, Jr., Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Ronald dela Rosa.

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