Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 5708)
Republic Act No. 5708 shall be known as "The Schools Physical Education and Sports Development Act of 1969."
The Department of Education is responsible for undertaking the integrated physical education and sports development program.
The guiding principles include instilling the importance of physical development alongside mental development, providing athletic development opportunities including competitive spirit, addressing physical growth, social training, and discipline while supporting superior athletic achievement, and ensuring effective organizational planning, adequate training facilities, and stable financing.
The Commission is composed of the Assistant Secretary for Physical Education as Chairman, the Director of Public Works, the Physical Director of the University of the Philippines, three coordinators representing the Bureau of Public Schools, the Bureau of Vocational Education, and the Bureau of Private Schools, and the President of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation.
The Commission administers funds, undertakes the construction and development program of sports centers, decides on plans and specifications for construction or improvement of sports centers, establishes construction priorities, enters into contracts, approves payments, and prescribes rules for administration and operation of sports centers.
The Assistant Secretary oversees the promotion and coordination of the schools' physical education and sports development programs under the general supervision and control of the Secretary of Education and acts as the Executive Director of the Commission.
A physical education supervisor shall be appointed in each division of the Bureau of Public Schools, a regional supervisor in the Bureau of Private Schools, and nine supervisors in the Bureau of Vocational Education, appointed by the Secretary of Education upon the recommendation of bureau directors, prioritizing the highest qualified supervisors.
An athletic fee not exceeding ten pesos per annum from each college and university student may be charged, and no other athletic fee of any kind shall be imposed.
The Act authorizes an annual appropriation of five million pesos for ten consecutive years from the National Treasury to finance the ten-year sports center development program, administered by the Commission.
No construction or improvement projects shall be authorized unless the site has been duly decided upon by local authorities and the property duly acquired by the local government.
A five-year coach development program is to be undertaken in coordination with the University of the Philippines, the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Key components include a health education and nutrition program emphasizing food production, general physical fitness with daily routines including calisthenics and folk dancing, competitive athletics starting in intermediate grades, intramural and inter-unit competitions, and annual regional and national meets.
The Commission shall submit an annual report to the Secretary of Education who will make appropriate recommendations to the President and Congress.
Yes, all unexpended balances at the termination of the ten-year program shall be transferred to the Department of Education to be used for the schools' sports development program.
The national appropriation for constructing any new sports center shall not exceed five hundred thousand pesos, and for improvements, not exceed two hundred fifty thousand pesos.