PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the education department to promote and further develop sports in the country, after an inspection on the state-of- the-art National Academy of Sports (NAS) facilities at New Clark City Sports Complex, Capas, Tarlac.
“I think the President wants to impress upon the public. Sabihin niya sa publiko na meron tayong pasilidad na ganito. Kung meron sa ating mga kanya-kanyang lalawigan, kung meron tayong magagaling na atleta, pwede silang dito para talagang mahasa,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara during an ambush interview after the inspection of President Marcos.
“Tulad na nahasa si Alex Eala, di ba? Dahil nabigyan siya ng tamang coaching, tamang suporta. Ganun din ang mensahe ni Presidente na yung mga potential natin, huwag natin sayangin, gamitin po natin,” said Angara.
“Ayun ang sabi ni Pangulo. Ngayon talaga makakapag-training sila. Kasi dati, nakikipasabay pa sila sa publiko. Ito, dedicated facility para sa mga atleta lang talaga,” Angara also said.
Angara, on the other hand, said President Marcos was happy to check on the NAS facilities in Capas after the visit, citing that sports is one of the priorities of the President.
“Well, natuwa siya sa pasilidad. I think first time niya dito. At sinabi ko sa kanya, nakamodelo ito dun sa Philippine High School for the Arts nung kanyang tatay,” said Angara.
“At prioridad din niyang palakasin ang sports dito sa ating bansa. Dito sa DepEd, parang we have 100 new sports clubs and facilities through the Office of the President and the Philippine Sports Commission,” Angara added.
For his part, Associate Professor Francis Carlos Diaz, NAS Executive Director, said the NAS has accepted a select group of student-athletes nationwide to train in the academy.
“Galing din sa Palarong Pambansa program. So, the uptake among all our 247 students here started in grade 7. So most, if not all, were really recruited from the different provinces and regions that were the rock stars in the elementary division of Palarong Pambansa,” said Diaz.
“And then when they’re here, so we develop them, we give them really, really good resources for their athletic development and then they enjoy a holistic quality secondary education. So malaki lang ang ecosystem ng support for our student-athletes here at the academy that differs from any other school programs that have sports,” Diaz said.
Diaz said the law requires the academy to have a regional NAS campus. “So we started to fix the guidelines for that, and the mandate is to have the next five years either one in Visayas or one in Mindanao. So that’s in the pipeline,” said Diaz.
Angara said some of the other cities also plan to have their own sports academy. “Yung ibang lugar, province, meron din silang mga sports academy. So yun, magli-link up sila with NAS sa training, sa coaching,” said Angara.
When asked about the violence lately in schools, Angara said the education department needs to rechannel the students’ energy into positive activities.
“So, you know, imbis na na-plug-in sa computer games, siguro physical activity is good for the youth,” Angara said.
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