Press Release
January 31, 2018

Senator Pacquiao sponsorship speech

Mr. President, Majority Floor Leader, fellow public servants, sa inyong tanan, maayong hapon.

As the Chairperson of the Committee on Sports, I respectfully push for the approval of Senate Bill No. 1515 under Committee Report 214 "An Act Strengthening the Philippine Sports Commission, Amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 6847, Otherwise known as the Philippine Sports Commission Act." This legislation was prepared in conjunction with the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Finance.

It has been more than 25 years since the country formally recognized sports as an integral part of the citizens' physical and mental fitness. It was on January 24, 1990 when the government made the move to recognize the developments in the international sporting arena. President Corazon Aquino signed into law Republic Act No. 6847, which gave birth to the Philippine Sports Commission.

Through the years, PSC has established various programs and events that harnessed the potential amateur athletes such as Elma Muros, Onyok Velasco, Roel Velasco, Lydia de Vega, Mona Soliman,Paeng Nepomuceno, Eugene Torre, to name a few.

Through the PSC, the country was able to develop an elite sports program by providing basic training requirements and training venue for our home-grown athletes. BUT THE TIME HAS COME TO REVISIT THIS OUTDATED LAW.

Let's face it, we have not been performing well in recent international sporting tournaments. We have a deep fountain of talents among our hardworking athletes. WE ARE NOT EVEN LACKING IN SKILLS. Our heart for sports is as big as any superstar player we have ever seen.

It took 20 years for the Philippines to win a medal in the Olympics courtesy of Hidilyn Diaz after Mansueto "Onyok" Velasco won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics.

So what went wrong?

One reason is BUDGET ALLOCATION. Kulelat tayo sa budget. Another reason is the poor sports facilities in our country. They are dilapidated and out-dated.

Without the proper support from the national government and without the necessary training program, pure talent can only achieve so much.

Mr. President, it is high time we amend our existing law to better address the needs of our brave athletes. We need to strengthen the role of the PSC as an institution governing our national sports program.

This proposed legislation aims to strengthen the Philippine Sports Commission so that it can be more responsive to the growing needs of Philippine Sports.

This would give PSC a more defined function in the field of GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT, SPORTS SCIENCE, SPORTS MEDICINE, SPORTS SERVICES and RESEARCH.

One of the salient points we wish to institutionalize is giving priority to our amateur athletes - our homegrown talents - the way we do for elite athletes. This ensures that every athlete with potential shall be given equal opportunity to showcase their talent and represent our country.

The role of the Philippine Sports Commission as a whole must be strengthened through partnerships with different stakeholders such as the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Local Government Units, among others.

Legislating this will finally institutionalize the partnerships because the status quo is only dependent on executive orders or memorandum that may be revoked anytime at the will of the issuing authority.

Yes, our goal is to bring home that highly elusive gold medal in the Olympics. Yes, it is our aim to cement our flag in the podium for every international sporting tournament. Ultimately, our goal is to promote excellence among our people. MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO. Strong mind, strong body.

Mr. President, it is time to act on this legislation. With the need to promote updated sports policies and comprehensive sports development program, I humbly request for the immediate approval of this measure.

Together, let us start growing global champions. Maraming salamat po!

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