The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to create a specialized Baguio-based high school for sports for talented athletes in the city and the Cordillera.
Once passed into law, House Bill 10567 will create the Baguio City Sports High School to train and educate promising young athletes from nearby provinces and provide them with opportunities to pursue their athletic dreams.
The school will offer a sports-focused curriculum complemented with general academic curriculum to cater to young athletes’ needs.
The school will be administered and supervised by the Department of Education in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission, which will help in policy and program formulation and implementation and provide technical assistance.
Baguio Rep. Mark Go, principal author of the bill, said the proposed school comes at an exciting time for Philippine sports, citing successful young athletes such as 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and EJ Obiena, currently ranked fifth in the world in men’s pole vaulting.
“There are so many aspiring young athletes in the country, many promising talents from the provinces do not receive the adequate support and training, and are not exposed to the proper opportunities to further pursue their athletic dreams,” Go said.
Citing Baguio’s high altitude and presence of several renowned athletic facilities such as the Athletic Bowl and Baguio Teachers’ Camp, Go said the city remains a popular training location for athletes across the country.
“Establishing a sports high school in Baguio will open a lot of opportunities for young athletes in Baguio and the Cordillera, which may be replicated in many strategic locations across the archipelago. With added government support, these facilities could further be improved to meet international standards,” Go said.
The bill is set to be transmitted to the Senate. – Press release
April 27, 2024
