La Trinidad, Benguet – The provincial board approved an ordinance creating the Benguet Sports Council and appropriating funds for the same to enhance the province’s sports development initiatives.
Boardmember Nestor Fongwan, Jr., author of Ordinance No. 2022-296, stated that it is a declared policy of the provincial government to promote physical education and encourage sports program, league competitions and amateur sports, including trainings for various competitions to foster self-discipline, teamwork and excellence for a healthy and alert citizenry; subscribing to the international charter of physical education and sports of the United Nationals Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the provincial government believes that physical education and sports will contribute to inculcate fundamental human values underlying in the full development of a person; the provincial government recognizes that sports development will effectively address the need for a comprehensive grassroots sports program centered on values formation inherent in the practice of sports and play.
The Benguet Sports Council shall act as a channel through which the youth can harness their abundant energy in a healthful, life-enhancing, goal-oriented manner; it shall be used as a vehicle to help fight drug addiction, alcoholism, criminality and simple boredom which are symptoms of a society which lacks youth inspiration and motivation due to the absence of meaningful structures and means in expressing their creative energies and it shall train athletes to compete and to excel in provincial, regional and national athletic meets and competitions and eventually to dominate the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) championships of which Benguet is a member which would further contribute to the overall showing of the region in the Palarong Pambansa.
Fongwan pointed out that sports development cannot be achieved without information dissemination, documentations, research and marketing, hence, the provincial government shall maximize the use and recognize the importance of media in promoting sports development in the locality; develop drank records section and sports library which will help in the proper documentation, records management and in the conduct of research relative to sports and market sports not only to augment financial resources but to promote and enhance recognition of athletes, coaches, trainers, including sports organizations from among the members of the community to further bolster and enhance sports development in the province.
The Benguet Provincial Sports Council shall be composed of the Provincial Administrator as the chairperson, 5 representatives from the private sector where the vice chairperson will be chosen from; chairperson of the provincial board committee on youth and sports development; chairperson of the provincial board committee on education; provincial planning and development coordinator; provincial budget officer; Provincial Schools Division Superintendent or his or her representative; representatives from the Benguet State University (BSU), Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC), King’s College of the Philippines, and vocational-technical schools in the province; provincial sports director of the Sports Council and the head of the Secretariat.
Fongwan proposed that the amount of P1 million shall be appropriated from the annual budget of the provincial government for the implementation of the ordinance.