By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has a signed a law mandating colleges and universities to report their participation and program support expenditures in athletic programs.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the 34th Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on February 6, 2019. (ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Republic Act No. 11180 also known as the "Athletic Programs Report Act" was in line with the government's policy to promote athletic programs, league competitions and amateur sports to promote a healthy and alert citizenry.
Under the law, higher education institutions (HEIs) must submit an annual report to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on the total number of participants in the athletic program and their gender; ratio of male participants to female participants; total operating expenses; and total scholarship expenditures.
The report must also include the ratio of male scholarship expenses to female expenses; total number of contests joined by the team; gender of head coach and if working full-time or part-time; number of assistant coaches and their gender; number of graduate assistant coaches and their gender; ratio of participants to coaches; and level of participation of National Sports Associations.
The law also directed CHED to compile and publish annually in its website or newspaper the reports coming from the HEIs.
The department shall impose disciplinary sanctions against any HEI official or employee found violating the disclosure of athletic program participation rate and financial support.
CHED, in coordination with the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges, Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations, the Association of Local Colleges and Universities, and the Philippine Olympic Committee, has also been ordered to issue the rules and regulations to implement the law.
The law takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper.