Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10588)
The short title is the "Palarong Pambansa Act of 2013".
The State promotes physical education and encourages sports programs and amateur sports through the institutionalization of the Palarong Pambansa as the country's premier national sporting event, supporting programs that improve and promote it for the youth's physical, intellectual, and social well-being.
The objectives include institutionalizing the Palarong Pambansa under DepED as the premier national sporting event, improving the DepED's school sports program with incentives to schools, and encouraging LGUs to support and promote the event with incentives and rewards.
The Board has ten members: the Secretary of DepED (Chairperson), four Undersecretaries of DepED, three Assistant Secretaries of DepED, the Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, and the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Functions include formulating policies and guidelines, reviewing sports rules, promoting the event, providing incentives to schools and LGUs, accrediting athletes, creating task forces and committees, allocating funds, selecting host LGUs, and assessing and reporting on the Palaro's conduct.
Hosting is determined by bidding with a principle of rotation among the geographical clusters of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Two adjoining LGUs may co-host if one lacks complete venues and facilities.
Criteria include existing sports facilities (given the highest weight), capacity to accommodate participants and guests, security and peace and order, and the LGU’s opportunity to promote its socioeconomic and cultural uniqueness.
The Board shall provide incentives to winning LGUs bidding to host and to schools fielding student-athletes, including financial support for scholarships and improvement of sports and physical education programs.
Elementary Division includes athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, and arnis. Secondary Division includes archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiards, boxing, chess, football, futsal, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, and wushu.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directs the Philippine National Police to implement a comprehensive security plan for the LGU hosting the Palarong Pambansa.