Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go appealed to the Philippine Sports Commission to continue to promote and protect the welfare of athletes, especially the physical and mental condition of the national teams amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.
Go, Senate Committee on Sports chairperson, said he sympathizes with the athletes given their current situation of not being able to participate in competitions.
Most athletes, especially those engaged in contact sports, are not able to train and compete given the health protocols being implemented to prevent the spread of the disease.
Recently, the PSC has given its regular allowance to around 1,000 national athletes and coaches despite its “no training, no allowance” policy.
The commission also provided housing and food to stranded national team members in Metro Manila. It has also been monitoring the health status of its athletes through online medical consultations and psychological sessions.
However, allowances usually received by athletes have been adversely affected due to limited resources. This is because their allowances are taken from the National Sports Development Fund sourced from a percentage of the income of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation as provided by law.
Since PAGCOR’s operations have also been adversely affected by the pandemic, its remittances to PSC for sports development substantially declined as well.
This led to the allowances being cut in half starting July and until funds are made available.
Aside from the financial support, Go also urged the government to provide other forms of assistance to support national athletes and coaches especially those who are preparing for international competitions..
Go also urged the PSC to formulate new policies on how the sports industry can move forward amidst the new realities of the pandemic and look into the integration of technology in sports development, such as the conduct of online training and coaching.
“To our concerned government agencies, such as the PSC and GAB (Games and Amusements Board), please continue to monitor and support the welfare of athletes through other innovative means especially in conducting online trainings and by providing guidelines for other sports competitions to resume activities in a safe manner and in compliance with health protocols,” Go said.
Go, who has always been supportive of long-term grassroots sports development in the country, is a co-author of Senate Bill 1086, which was signed by President Duterte recently.
The law establishes the National Academy of Sports and enables student-athletes to be enrolled in a holistic sports high school program with a specialized curriculum, and where the government can provide full scholarships to deserving young Filipinos.
“With the establishment of the NAS in very close proximity to world-class facilities, our student-athletes can enjoy a level of training which is at par with the best in the world and at the same
time be given quality education,” Go said in previous statements.