(Eagle News) – Philippine sports officials are upbeat that the country’s sports training would greatly improve after President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Republic Act 11214 or “the Philippine Sports Training Center Act.”
President Duterte presented the signed Philippine Sports Training Center Act on Wednesday, February 20, in Malacanang, along with several other significant laws that would “further support the administration’s development agenda.”
Among these laws signed or presented Wednesday are the Universal Health Care Act, the Social Security Act of 2018, An Act Providing for the Reapportionment of the Province of Southern Leyte into Two Legislative Districts, and The New Central Bank Act as well as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) dividends.
“We are also training — presenting today the Philippine Sports Training Center Act which would establish a center for athletic development that will help maximize the potential and competitiveness of our local athletes,” President Duterte said in his speech.
The new law seeks to establish a state-of-the-art sports training facility in the country.
It aims “to promote and develop sports in the country, to achieve excellence in international sports competitions, to ensure success in the country’s quest to achieve competitiveness in the Olympic Games and to promote international amity among nations.”
-PSC: Happy day for PHL sports –
“It’s a happy moment for Philippine sports,” said Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez.
He said that this was a dream for them at the PSC.
“It’s a happy day for Philippine Sports,” the PSC said in its twitter page.
“Republic Act 11214 or the “Philippine Sports Training Center Act” law has been signed by President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday bearing into fruition all the hard work poured into making the “dream” a reality,” it added.
“We at the PSC are extremely grateful to the President for making this historic development in Philippine sports happen” Ramirez said.
He explained that they have been working for this law in the past two years.
Ramirez said that with its signing, the new Philppine sports training center “can become a reality to be able to provide our athletes more fighting chance in their competitions with an upgraded training facility.”
Some P3.5 billion has already been appropriated for the construction of the facility. It is envisioned to be a 20-hectare sports hub that will rise in Rosales, Pangasinan in 2022.
It will have sports science faciltiies, medical facilities, and sports amenities for 39 Olympic and non-Olympic sports.
It will also have dormitories for athletes and coaches, aside from administrative offices.
Ramirez said that the PSC will be “hands-on in overseeing the operation and construction of the PSTC” or the Philippine Sports Training Center.
