CLARK FREEPORT – A Philippine High School for Sports (PHSS) will soon rise at the New Clark City (NCC).
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) announced the establishment of the PHSS in a press statement here Thursday.
“The New Clark City will soon become the home of future champion athletes as senators push for the creation of a Philippine High School for Sports within the rising metropolis,” the BCDA said.
NCC, a project of the BCDA, is the site of the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in November where world-class sports facilities have been built.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, said the Philippine High School for Sports will “unleash the potential of young Filipinos who have shown early potential of excelling in sports for a sports-related career.”
During her co-sponsorship speech, Sen. Pia Cayetano showed photos of the NCC sports facilities, which include an Athletics Stadium, Aquatics Center, and the Athletes’ Village.
“New Clark City is a sustainable city that will house our athletes for the SEA Games. And this is also where this sports school will be built. It is envisioned that the students will have access to vocational, sports and academic tracks so that each of them can still fulfill their own dreams,” Cayetano said.
The lady senator, a triathlete and former national athlete, has run laps inside the Athletics Stadium and has also tested the Aquatics Center competition pool.
The Athletics Stadium is a 20,000-seater, world-class Olympics stadium with a nine-lane 400-meter track and field oval, and a six-lane warm up track.
The Aquatics Center is a 2,000-seater, worldclass arena built with a 10-lane Olympic size swimming pool, a diving pool with inland diving training facility, and a warm-up training pool.
The Athletes’ Village is made of 525 furnished units that can accommodate up to 1,500 occupants. It is complete with training and fitness facilities.
Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, a co-sponsor and chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, said the PHSS will provide scholarship grants so that gifted young athletes will have access to quality education that puts equal emphasis on core subjects, and physical education and sports development.
“With the creation of the Philippine High School for Sports in very close proximity to worldclass facilities…our student- athletes can enjoy a level of training which is at par with the best in the world,” Go said.
“This type of training and education can catapult our student-athletes to illustrious careers in sports, whether as athletes, coaches, managers, or any other sports-related profession,” he added.
The BCDA said it shares the senators’ enthusiasm to pursue the establishment of a dedicated high school for sports.
BCDA president-CEO Vince Dizon said the BCDA will allot three hectares inside the NCC for the said purpose.
“BCDA strongly supports the proposal of our senators. This will greatly benefit the next generation of athletes and uplift the standards of Philippine sports,” said Dizon.
