Good news for talented student-athletes!
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, May 27, announced that full scholarships in secondary education will be offered by the National Academy of Sports (NAS) to Filipino student-athletes who excel in sports.
NAS, DepEd said, is set for its inaugural school year. Created through Republic Act No. 11470, the NAS was institutionalized to recognize and develop exceptionally talented students from all sectors, including indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
Pursuant to the law, the NAS System is an attached institution of the DepEd, in close coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
“We are having a National Academy of Sports for those who want to take up sports not only as something they do as they are growing up, but also as a profession, as a way of learning more about the science of the body,” said Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones.
“The virtues of honesty and sportsmanship will also be developed at the NAS,” she added.
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NAS Executive Director Josephine Joy Reyes, during the pilot episode of Usapang DepEd Sports Season 2, also gave an overview of the institution’s enhanced secondary program in sports.
Reyes said that NAS will provide full scholarship upon entry at Grade 7 or in Junior High Schools up to Grade 12.
“They will also be given reasonable monthly stipend, free board and lodging, as well as school and training uniforms,” she added.
Reyes added that NAS will also provide students exposure to “compete internationally and represent the country in qualified sports competitions.” Along with their athletic performance during their stay in the school system, she added that these students will also have an opportunity to become “exchange students so their talents will be honed even more.”
The “Usapang DepEd Sports,” according to OIC-Assistant Secretary for National Academy of Sports Malcolm Garma, is a talk show aims to “strengthen the involvement of learners in sports discussions.” It is spearheaded by the Department's Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Sports Division (BLSS-SSD).
These discussions about various topics on sports shall help our stakeholders in understanding the programs and policies of DepEd school sports, sports science, and sports medicine among others.
Meanwhile, DepEd noted that the newly-established sports institution will also prioritize the academic performance of the young athletes as NAS will “implement a holistic, enhanced sports curriculum.” In a statement issued May 26, DepEd said that the NAS is set to admit its first batch of learners by August 2021.