MOTION TO RATIFY BICAMERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT
AN ACT CREATING AND ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SPORTS AND PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR
(Senate Bill No. 1086 and House Bill No. 6312)

May 11, 2020

Delivered by Hon. Win Gatchalian, Senator of the Republic:

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues, good afternoon. I have the honor of submitting for ratification a copy of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the Disagreeing Provisions of Senate Bill No. 1086 and House Bill No. 6312 creating and establishing the National Academy of Sports.

The Senate and the House panels have met and discussed to work out a reconciled version of our respective bills. We have come up with a legislation that will create and establish a National Academy of Sports to train and develop future generations of world champion Filipino athletes. This is a high school that will give our students a quality and enhanced secondary education program, integrated with a special curriculum on sports. Our students will be housed and trained in world class sports facilities which are at par with international standards. It shall be attached to the Department of Education, in close coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission.

Mr. President, I am proud to move for the ratification of this legislation that will finally provide the financial, infrastructural, and policy support from the government that other countries have bestowed upon their athletes for a long time. This will give our own athletes and aspiring world champions the education, training, and opportunity to bring home the gold, honor and pride to our country. And for those who will decide to pursue other paths and careers after graduation from the sports academy, this bill was crafted to ensure that the curriculum shall provide the student-athletes with a holistic quality education to enable them to excel in their respective sports, as well as pursue their chosen profession or career.

To me, Mr. President, Filipinos have always been the greatest sports fans in the world. It is time to provide solid support to our own athletes and give them the opportunity to be the sports icons and world champions that our Filipino fans will cheer for, be proud of, and respect. It is my hope that this bill will be the crucial first step towards that goal.

Finally, Mr. President, I thank my colleagues and co-authors - Sen. Angara, Sen. Cayetano, and Sen. Go - whose staunch passion and advocacy for this legislation inspired the Senate and the House committees to take this measure to the finish line. Thank you also to Sen. Tolentino for his invaluable contribution as conferee when we threshed out several issues during the bicameral conference, and to Senators Gordon and Binay who contributed to refine the bill during the interpellations and period of amendments.

Mr. President, the comprehensive details of the disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House bills are reflected in the Joint Explanatory Statement. With the permission of the Body, I move that said Joint Explanatory Statement on the Disagreeing Provisions of Senate Bill No. 1086 and House Bill No. 6312 be read in toto into the Record, and that the Bicameral Conference Committee Report be ratified. Thank you very much and good afternoon.