ILOILO City – Following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s renewed focus on sports development, a local sports official has called on the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to enhance grassroots coaching through yearly training programs.
“Now that the President has spoken about the sports development program, I am appealing to the PSC to enhance the technical capabilities of local government unit (LGU) and Department of Education (DepEd) coaches — for free — every year,” said Ray Cabarles, sports development officer of the Iloilo provincial government wrote in a Facebook post.
According to Cabarles, it is important to provide young athletes with science-based training to protect them from possible injuries and maximize their full potential.
“In modern sports, we need science — not trial-and-error methods. With proper science, we can protect our athletes from injuries and burnouts while helping them reach their full potential and deliver the results we all desire. Thank you in advance, PSC,” Cabarles said.
President Marcos made sports a key part of his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, vowing to launch a new national sports development program aimed at revitalizing grassroots sports and promoting healthier lifestyles among Filipinos.
“Magbubuhos tayo ng todo-suporta sa mga palaro at mga atleta sa buong bansa. Halimbawa, ang Palarong Pambansa, at ang Batang Pinoy Games na gaganapin sa General Santos City ngayong Oktubre,” the President said.
He emphasized that the program will begin in schools, with the reestablishment of sports clubs and regular intramurals to foster physical activity and competitive values.
“Bubuo tayo ng bagong pambansang programa sa sports development. Uumpisahan natin ito sa paaralan pa lamang. Ibabalik natin ang mga sports clubs at magsasagawa tayo ng mga palaro at intrams sa lahat ng mga pampublikong paaralan,” Marcos added.
The PSC, alongside the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), is expected to take the lead in implementing the national sports development agenda./PN
