(MANILA BULLETIN)

A measure seeking to declare the month of April as "National Basketball Month" has been approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives. 

During plenary session Wednesday night, Aug. 16, the measure embodied in House Bill (HB) No. 8268 gained 272 "yes" votes. 

Its final passage in the House took place as the country was set to co-host the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Basketball is the most popular sport in the country. 

“We would like to institutionalize the annual celebration of National Basketball Month in all provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays to promote basketball in the local government units and educational institutions,” Speaker Martin Romualdez, head of the 312-member House of Representatives, said in a statement following the bill's passage. 

Romualdez said such promotion of the sport "would be possible through the conduct of local and national basketball tournaments as a venue for talent identification, selection, and recruitment of student-athletes with the coordination of various government agencies". 

“No less than our Constitution mandates that the State shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry,” the Leyte 1st district representative added. 

“So it is just appropriate that we support programs that will promote team sports such as basketball which is deemed to be the most popular sport in the country.” 

Some of the principal authors of the measure are Reps. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Charisse Anne Hernandez, PM Vargas, Richard Gomez, Eric Buhain, Jeyzel Victoria Yu, Francisco Paolo Ortega V, David Suarez, Franz Pumaren, Erwin Tieng, Salvador Pleyto, and Manuel Dalipe. 

Under the bill, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), in coordination with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Games and Amusements Board (GAB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and concerned National Sports Association (NSA), is mandated to prepare and implement an annual program of activities. 

The month-long celebration will include basketball events and activities for all ages at the local parks and community centers across the country; inter-barangay basketball leagues or friendly games; free basketball training, coaching, and officiating a basketball game; exhibition or demonstration games among professional players; paralympic basketball for persons with disabilities and para-athletes; women’s participation in basketball; viewing parties for major basketball games; and virtual basketball sports or e-basketball sports.