PHSS: Law that will help our student-athletes
A bill which aims to establish our nation’s first “sports” high school that will serve as a venue for young sports talents for the National Olympic team to hone them in achieving the country’s first Olympic gold medal.
Currently, we have the National Games and the Batang Pinoy that in some way serves the equivalent goal but the establishment of the said athletic high school can provide young athletes the chance to avail specialized education and training in becoming one of the best sportsmen in the future.
The Philippine High School for Sports Act of 2011 which is authored by Aurora Rep. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara together with other 28 lawmakers has reached the 3rd reading. If this bill is enacted, PHSS will offer scholarship to student-athletes for secondary school education.
The school will be given a seed fund of P50 Million which will come from the earnings of PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) and aided by PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office). That is 10% of all unclaimed and forfeited sweepstakes and lotto prizes.
PHSS will still be under the guidance of the Department of Education, several sport associations and the private sector.
I do hope that all the funds will be aimed directly for the benefit of our prospective young people and not just another way to seek out a means of pilfering our country’s money.
If this bill passes, many young Filipinos will be encouraged to take the road to sportsmanship. Opportunities to train and learn for other sports (where we never excel) will soon be a foreseeable possibility.
Tags: Aurora Representative, bill to establish 1st sports high school in PH, PAGCOR will support PHSS, PCSO shares funds for PHSS, Philippine High School for Sports Act, PHSS nears approval, PHSS now on third reading, Rep. Edgardo Sonny Angara
This is another step/attempt in improving the grassroots program in sports. I just hope that setting up a Philippine High School for Sports would not only focus on “honing them [student-athletes] in achieving an Olympic gold medal” and “providing young athletes the chance to avail specialized education and training in becoming one of the best sportsmen in the future”, but also aiding these student-athletes a future career in the field of sports/sports science/PE through proper education.
In aligning this with the objective of DepEd’s K+12 curriculum, by the time they finish a secondary degree, they will be able to find a job or they are employable. We know that some of the athletes become coaches later in life without taking a degree in sports. So, providing student-athletes an education in the field of sports through this proposed PHSS would give them an option to consider a continuing career in the field of Sports Science or PE.
I was just thinking, is this similar to the Philippine Science High School System, wherein “it offers scholarships to Filipino students who are gifted in the sciences and mathematics & that the system is known to have a very challenging curriculum which produces the best professionals in the country”? That after graduating in PSHS, students continue a college degree/career in Science or Math?
The Philippine Science High School was established through Republic Act 3661, authored by Congressman Virgilio Afable, and signed into law in 1963 by President Diosdado Macapagal. This charter mandates the PSHS “to offer on a free scholarship basis a secondary course with emphasis on subjects pertaining to service with the end in view of preparing its students for a science career”. The school started operations in 1964. – (http://www.pshs.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29)
Ganito rin kaya sa proposed PHSS, aside from producing the best sportsmen in the country, baka the best professionals din sa field of sports/sports science/PE? would they also continue a college degree/career in the field of sports? hmm…