A SENIOR member of the House of Representatives has started efforts to craft a holistic national sports program to improve the performance of Filipino athletes who make it to the national pool.
Abono Party-list Rep. Conrado Estrella III, chair of the House committee on youth and sports, said in a statement that the draft program would be submitted to President Duterte by the end of September or early October.
“We are lucky to have a President now who is very supportive of our sports program,” said Estrella.
“There is no reason for us not to be able to recruit potential athletes if we focus on our grassroots sports program and follow the charter of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC),” Estrella added in a speech during a sports summit held at Century Park Hotel.
“If we train potential athletes at an early age, they will shine and develop into world-class athletes. We must be scientific in our approach, invest in the best coaches we can recruit, and ensure transfer of sports technology,” he added.
While the nation rejoiced over weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s silver medal in the Rio Olympics, records would show that no Filipino has ever won a gold medal in the most prestigious sporting event in the world.
In the 20 editions of the Olympics that the country has participated in, Diaz’s silver is only the 10th for the Philippines.
Estrella said funding requirements can be addressed if the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) fulfills its obligation to remit five percent of its monthly gross revenues to the PSC under Republic Act No. 6847.
He said since 1993, the PSC has been getting only half of what it should receive from Pagcor under the law.
In a recent hearing of the Senate committee on sports, PSC chair William Ramirez said based on their computation, Pagcor has missed remitting to the PSC nearly P20 billion.
In the same hearing, committee chair Sen. Manny Pacquaio also called on the country’s top sports leaders to get their act together and make sure that the construction of a modern P2-billion training center to cater to the national athletes becomes a reality.
Estrella said the “quarrelsome culture within and among the various sports groups” must end.
“We must now have a culture of patriotism where personal interests and differences should give way to national interests,” he added.