THE House of Representatives will soon debate on a measure seeking to require higher education institutions to report participation and program support expenditures in all college athletic programs.
This emerged after the House committee on higher and technical education, chaired by Rep. Ann Hofer of Zamboanga, passed House Bill 546 authored by PBA party-list Rep. Mark Sambar.
The bill would want to encourage college students to participate in regular sports programs, league competitions, amateur sports and other sports activities undertaken by HEIs by making information about the athletic programs and the expenditures of the HEIs available to the public.
Sambar, a vice chairman of the committee on appropriations, said learning institutions should inform prospective students of their athletic programs so that prospective students could make an informed judgment on whether to enroll in the school or not.
Hofer said the bill was a refiled bill deliberated on by the committee during the 15th Congress without any objection from resource persons from the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, Coordination Council of Private Education Association or Cocopea, the Association of Local Colleges and Universities or Alcu and the Commission on Higher Education or Ched.
“Subsequently, the House approved the bill but it remained pending in the Senate,” said Hofer.
Hofer also apprised the committee members that during the previous committee meeting, the Alcu and the National Youth Commission submitted their position papers on the bill.
Likewise, in the same meeting, Ched and Pasuc manifested their support for the bill.
Cocopea, on the other hand, voiced its opposition to the inclusion of private higher education institutions in the coverage of the bill, according to Hofer.
Hofer said she asked Cocopea to submit within five days from the meeting its position paper where it could fully ventilate its concerns.
“Unfortunately, Cocopea and Pasuc submitted their position papers only Wednesday. Nonetheless, we’ll make it part of the records of committee deliberations,” she said.
In the explanatory note of his bill, Sambar said active participation in sports would teach the youth values such as teamwork, handling challenges and overcoming obstacles.
“Sports will keep our people mentally and physically fit,” said Sambar.
Sambar said the relevant resource persons had given their views on the bill.
“In line with that, we’ve seen that there is an overwhelming support for HB 546,” said Sambar.
The bill defines program support expenditures as operating, scholarship and other expenditures incurred by the HEI in organizing an athletic team and participating in an athletic team.”