Wednesday, September 03, 2008 PSC maps out plans with multisectoral body
THE blunder of the Philippine team in the recent Olympiad had urged the national sports governing body, the Philippine Sports Commission to make the necessary steps in correcting the mistakes.
The other day, the PSC presented before an inter-government and inter-sectoral body spearheaded by the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) board, the new direction that PSC wants to take.
“We presented to Neda with newly-appointed director general Ralph Recto PSC’s short-term development plan. It is a roadmap by which the Philippine sports will be treading for the next three years and it was unanimously approved and was received well even by our president. It assures us that we will be able to achieve our goals in the next three years,” said PSC executive director Fr. Vic Uy.
Plan
The plan had included the strengthening of the Philippine Sports Institute that aims for a systematic development of grassroots sports programs, athletes and coaches. It also aims to elevate the skills and qualification of coaches and amateur sporting practitioners.
In the afternoon, the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee met in a five-hour joint session to assess the Philippines’ performance in Beijing and to map out the preparations for the next four years.
In the meeting, presided by Congressman Monico Puentebella, there was quorum that there should be unity in the programs among the sporting bodies to achieve their goals.
“The PSC and DepEd have good grassroots program, the POC has a good program for the elite athletes. But still, we need to be in the same boat,” said Puentebella in when he guested in the television show Harapan.
The group had decided to refocus their prioritized sports keeping in mind the viability that this will actually lead to medals.
“We have looked at 12 sports for the Olympics. The problem is, some of these are not included in the Palarong Pambansa, a DepEd endeavor, so there is little chance that kids would get into these sports. This is what I mean about being on the same boat,” the congressman added. Some of the spots are judo, weightlifting and archery.
Budget
Meanwhile, Puentebella added that since the problem always boils down to the lack of budget, he will be proposing to the congress to amend the Republic Act 6847 or the Philippine Sports Commission act.
The PSC is supposed to get five percent of the income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. However, there is a constant battle in terms of the interpretation of the law that always ends up with the PSC getting just a little over two percent after several deductions. “Let us just make this law clearer so we don’t have to argue about it any longer,” said Puentebella, who served a PSC commissioner for six years before becoming a congressman. (MCB)
