CCSC eyed as satellite campus for National Academy of Sports

APART from hosting future international sports events, the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) is also being considered as a satellite campus of the National Academy of Sports (NAS) System, according to a Cebu City official.

In a phone interview on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, Cebu City Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros said with all the improvements in sports facilities, they are not only aiming to host the Palarong Pambansa and other sports events but also to cater to the future athletes of the Philippine team.

Hontiveros said with the improved facilities, the city could support more student-athletes in the future.

Hontiveros said under the NAS system, student-athletes will no longer need to go to Luzon to train for certain sports.

“Mao na among e-bid puhon; we have the facilities (to serve as) board and lodging of athletes, with the intention nga these athletes, in five or six years, will be representing the national team,” Hontiveros said.

“We can be the satellite school for sports, kanang gitawag nato’g Abellana,” he added, noting that they are eyeing to develop the third floor of the CCSC as quarters.

Currently, the main campus of NAS is located at the New Clark City Sports Complex in Capas, Tarlac.

The establishment of the NAS System is mandated by Republic Act 11470, which was approved on June 9, 2020, by then-president Rodrigo Duterte. The act allocates funds for the operation of the NAS.

The NAS System is mandated to provide a quality secondary education program integrated with a specialized sports curriculum, focusing on identifying and developing highly talented students in sports.

Attached to the Department of Education and in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, the NAS System offers full scholarships to Filipino citizens with potential in sports, providing them with holistic education and training to excel in their chosen sports and future careers.

Hontiveros said once the CCSC becomes an academy for sports, the City will hire coaches and trainers for the student-athletes.

Hontiveros said during his time, they needed to go to Manila for tryouts and training, and that going there was not even a guarantee to be part of the national team.

Hontiveros said by having a facility in Cebu, student-athletes from the Visayas will no longer be too far away from their families.