ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos: We shouldn't let our athletes' potential go to waste

Marcos: We shouldn't let our athletes' potential go to waste

Published Jul 14, 2026 05:35 pm
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visits the National Academy of Sports (NAS) Learning Center in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac on July 14, 2026. (PCO)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visits the National Academy of Sports (NAS) Learning Center in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac on July 14, 2026. (PCO)
Citing tennis star Alex Eala's efforts to develop her skills through proper coaching, President Marcos hopes the same for Filipino athletes.
During his visit to the National Academy of Sports (NAS) Learning Center in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac on Tuesday, July 14, Marcos also emphasized the need for high-quality and well-equipped sports facilities.
With this, he has ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to promote and further develop sports in the country.
"I think the President wants to impress upon the public. Sabihin niya sa publiko na meron tayong pasilidad na ganito. Kung meron sa ating mga kanya-kanyang lalawigan, kung meron tayong magagaling na atleta, pwede silang dito para talagang mahasa (Tell the public that we have a facility like this. If there are talented athletes in our provinces, they can come here to train and truly develop their skills)," Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in an ambush interview.
“Tulad na nahasa si Alex Eala, di ba? Dahil nabigyan siya ng tamang coaching, tamang suporta. Ganun din ang mensahe ni Presidente na yung mga potential natin, huwag natin sayangin, gamitin po natin (Just like Alex Eala, whose talent was developed because she received the right coaching and the right support. That is also the President's message: we should not let our potential go to waste, we should nurture and make the most of it)," Angara added.
According to Angara, Marcos was satisfied with the facilities at the NAS.
The National Academy of Sports (NAS) was established under Republic Act No. 11470 to institutionalize a premier educational and athletic pathway for gifted young Filipinos, DepEd said in a statement.
Data showed that the facility subsidizes a learner population of 246 elite student-athletes for School Year 2026–2027, with core disciplines specializing in training in seven foundational sports: aquatics, athletics, badminton, gymnastics, judo, table tennis, and taekwondo.
During the tour, the officials inspected the fully operational Phase 1 buildings, which house the Academic and Administration Building and a highly equipped Multi-Sports Gymnasium.
They also reviewed Phase 2 developments, currently at 98 percent completion, featuring a modern Gymnastics Hall, a Sports Performance Building, and comprehensive staff and student residences.
For the 2026–2027 School Year, the academy is prepared to support 246 student-athletes specializing in seven foundational sports: aquatics, athletics, badminton, gymnastics, judo, table tennis, and taekwondo.
The NAS program offers a holistic support system, providing learners with 24/7 care, dormitory housing, full daily meals and snacks, strength and conditioning support, and a monthly personal allowance of P3,000.
To maintain this intensive environment, the NAS workforce includes 174 dedicated personnel, including full-time faculty, program heads, and specialized coaches. This investment has already yielded results, with NAS athletes securing 1,029 medals in national and international competitions in 2025.
Most recently, the academy hauled in 26 medals—including 10 gold, 5 silver, and 11 bronze—during the 2026 Palarong Pambansa, demonstrating the rapid growth and elite standard of its sports program.

Related Tags

President Marcos Filipino athletes DepEd National Academy of Sports
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ static_articles_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.