CEBU City Sports Commission Chairman Edward Hayco appealed to the local colleges and universities to give more athletic scholarships rather than limiting the offers.
Hayco, in an e-mailed statement to Sun.Star Cebu, said that one of the ways for underprivileged students to attain academic achievement is through an athletic scholarship.
“In line with our grassroots sports program, the sports commission is appealing to the universities of Cebu, that instead of dropping unpopular sports like running, etc. in their sports program and in the Cesafi, to adopt more sports. To many underprivileged (children), an athletic scholarship is their only way out from poverty,” Hayco said.
CCSC thinks having more athletic scholarships, especially in individual events, can make the school more successful, citing the case of schools in Manila that has good athletic programs.
“To them, an athletics program is a good marketing arm and it could attract students, not only good athletes, but the paying students,” Hayco said.
Hayco cited the example of Dondon Sombrio, who won a gold medal for the Philippines in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.
“The public-school raised Don Don Sombrio may never have become an architect, a SEA games Gold medalist, dedicated grassroots sports crusader, had he not been given an athletic scholarship by UV,” Hayco said.