Involvement of youth in sports activities can help redirect them to positive paths and reduce exposure to the Internet amid rising school-related violence, according to an Education official.
“Yes, when they are young, they have great potential, which needs to be redirected and channeled into constructive activities,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara told reporters in the Philippines during an interview on Tuesday.
“Instead of always playing computer games, maybe exercising is good for young people,” he added.
There are 15 incidents related to schools and threats reported to the authorities from June 16 to July 6. Among these incidents of school shooting in Cavite, three students died and several were injured.
Last year, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered all public schools to revive the School Sports Club (SSC) to improve the physical fitness and health of students.
“We have about 100 new sports teams and facilities through the office of the President and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC),” said Mr. “We are strengthening our sports clubs, at the same time, it is good to have extracurricular activities.”
He also highlighted the role of the National Academy for Sports (NAS), an attached agency of DepEd in collaboration with the PSC, in fighting for positive youth development and excellence in sports.
“If we have high-level players in our states, they come here to train, like Alex Eala, who was given proper training and support,” he said. “The President's message is the same – let's not waste our power, let's use it.”
NAS currently supports 246 student-athletes across seven core sports, including aquatics, athletics, badminton, gymnastics, judo, table tennis, and taekwondo. Students from this center are able to receive 24/7 care, lodging, full daily meals and snacks, energy and conditioning support, and a monthly stipend of P3,000.
“Therefore, if not all of them, they were indeed recruited from the various states and regions that were the stars of the first phase of the Palarong Pambansa,” NAS Executive Director Francis Carlos Diaz told reporters in an interview.
“When they're here, so we develop them, we give them the best facilities for athletic development, and they enjoy a quality high school education,” he added. “The ecosystem of support for our student athletes here at the school is unlike any other school program that has sports.”
The school won 1,029 medals in national and international competitions in 2025 and 26 medals in the recent Palarong Pambansa.
The NAS regional campus in Visayas or Mindanao is expected to grow within the next five years to support the sports development of students continuously.
“Actually it is in the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) that this institution is enacted,” said Mr. Diaz. “We have started preparing guidelines for that, and the goal is to have it in the next 5 years, either in Visayas or Mindanao.” – Almira Louise S. Martinez
