MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Olympic Committee?s plan to consolidate all laws for sports has drawn positive reaction from the House of Representatives? committee on youth and sports development.

?I broached the idea to the committee members and they are amenable to it,? said POC president Jose ?Peping? Cojuangco Jr. after a recent meeting with the committee, led by vice chair and Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, where the possibility of putting up an omnibus law for sports was discussed.

Billed as the ?Magna Carta? for sports, the proposed omnibus law will cover, among others, benefits and incentives for athletes, a permanent annual budget for the Philippine Sports Commission and the fixed term of PSC officials.

The POC head proposed a bill to the House last year detailing the need for a fixed tenure for PSC officials and a consistent annual budget for the government sports agency.

The 13th Congress, however, ended before the proposal could reach the floor.

It was supposed to complement Republic Act 9064, or the Sports Incentives Act, which provides additional bonuses for medalists in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

?They promised to tackle the issue again and at the same time make amendments to RA 9064 before the Holy Week break next month,? said Cojuangco.

In the absence of youth and sports development chair and Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Cesar Jalosjos, Puentevella served as head of the committee that is also made up of Antipolo City Rep. Roberto Puno, South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio and Buhay party-list Rep. Maria Carissa Coscolluela.

Aside from the proposed omnibus law, Cojuangco said he would request the committee to create a bill to reward champions in the professional ranks.

Cojuangco also asked the committee to insert additional benefits for athletes such as discounts for medicines and transportation accorded to senior citizens.

?They (committee members) want to accomplish many things as much as possible because the same committee wasn?t that aggressive in the last Congress,? said the POC head. ?I also reached some of my friends in the Senate for dual movement and to speed up the process.?

A few months before the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last year, Sen. Gregorio ?Gringo? Honasan announced he would push for a law encompassing all government provisions for sports.