THINGS are looking up at the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission).
The PSC is poised to open the Philippine Sports Training Center (PSTC), which has been in the drawing boards for so long that it took the guts of PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez to have it inaugurated this year—finally.
“We are doing our best to make this longtime dream come true,” said Ramirez. “We are grateful for the support and interest that we are receiving from different LGUs (local government units). We are carefully studying the possibilities and our best options.”
The town of Rosales in Pangasinan has offered land for the construction of the PSTC complex. Other municipalities in Tarlac and Bataan have done so as well.
But for me, why go far? Why not make use of the SEA Games buildings in New Clark City, instead of leaving them to rot and rendering them as white elephants—again?
No less than President Duterte has made sure the PSTC would materialize, signing Republic Act 11214 last year creating the PSTC to serve as a world-class, state-of-the-art sports training facility center.
With a whopping budget of P3.5 billion from the general appropriations platform, surely, the PSTC would not be bereft of resources and logistics to keep it going 12 months a year.
In its mantra, the PSTC “will possess amenities suitable and conducive for national athletes, coaches and referees to achieve a high-level and quality training for international competitions like the Olympic Games.”
Already, Ramirez said the PSC has partnered with the USSA (United States Sports Academy) “to strengthen the country’s human resources.”
Penciled this March are sports courses to upgrade knowledge and skills of coaches, trainers and other sports professionals in the country with USSA providing the education and training programs.
Sports buffs and even mere kibitzers wishing to learn more can go to http://www.psc.gov.ph for details.
Why not give it a try, fellas? Nothing to lose.
After all, dreams do not have price tags.