Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, continues to advocate for the development of a stronger and improved sports sector in the country.
On Thursday, 11 May, the senator flew to Cambodia to show his support and cheer for the Filipino athletes participating in the ongoing Southeast Asian Games. He emphasized the importance of sports in promoting national pride and unity, and thanked the athletes for bringing honor to the country.
“Nandito po kami ni Senate President Migz Zubiri, Senator Francis Tolentino… full force po ang Senado to support our athletes. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, full support po ako parati sa lahat ng sports… sana po ay makahabol tayo. Kilala naman ang mga Pilipino na lumalaban at may puso. Go Philippines! Go! Go! Go! Go for gold,” he said in an interview while watching the events in Cambodia.
“Congratulations po sa ating mga atleta! Ang Pilipino po ay kilala dahil sa ating puso at lumalaban tayo hanggang sa huli. Talagang lumalaban ang Pilipino. Inspirasyon kayo ng mga kababayan natin, mga atleta, kaya nandito kami to support you,” he also said earlier in an ambush interview after his visit to Tondo, Manila on Wednesday, 10 May.
Go maintained that sports can have a positive impact on the country, not just in terms of promoting a healthy lifestyle but also in creating opportunities for Filipinos to excel in the field and bring pride to the nation.
He likewise emphasized the need for a more comprehensive and holistic approach to sports development. He shared that he sponsored and defended additional funding for the Philippine Sports Commission during its 2023 budget deliberation, particularly for grassroots sports development and in support of athletes joining international competitions.
“Gaya po noon, full support po ako sa ating mga atleta. In fact, ang na-aprubahan po na budget sa PSC ay more or less P200 million. Ako po ang nagsulong na madagdagan po ng P1 billion ang budget po ng PSC para po sa grassroots program, para po suporta sa ating mga atletang nagko-compete po sa SEA Games, Asian Games and even sa Olympics,” Go cited.
“Napakaimportante po itong tulong sa ating mga atleta. Kailangan po ng tulong ng gobyerno sa mga atleta at tulong rin po ng pribadong sektor. Kapag nagsama po ‘yang gobyerno at pribadong sektor, malayo po ang ating mararating tulad noong 2019, number 1 po tayo. Nagtulungan po tayo dito, naghost po tayo dito sa Pilipinas. Number 1 po tayo sa ranking sa SEA Games,” he added.
The senator also pledged to continue supporting the development of the country’s sports sector, and to provide assistance to Filipino athletes as they pursue their dreams of excellence in sports.
Go earlier authored and co-sponsored in the Senate Republic Act No. 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports in 2020 as part of his vision to ensure that promising young athletes can further hone their talents while getting quality education.
The NAS is a government-run academy located in Capas, Tarlac, aimed at developing the country’s future athletes by offering quality secondary education with a special curriculum on sports for gifted young Filipinos who want to enhance their physical and mental capabilities in sports.
“Ngayon naman po as a senator, mayroon na tayong naisabatas tulad ng National Academy of Sports, ito pong eskwelahan kung saan pwede pong mag-aral at magtraining ang estudyante. Walang masasakripisyo dahil pwede pong sabay. Iyan po ang batas na aking isinulong noon pa,” he explained.
The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 423, or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development.
“Mayroon po akong proposed bill, itong Philippine National Games Act of 2022 to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program. Ibig sabihin nito, linking grassroot sports promotion to national sports development, parang mini-Olympics po itong Philippine National Games,” Go highlighted.
“At isa po ito sa pamamaraan na iengganyo po ang ating mga kababayan, kabataan to get into sports stay away from drugs. Iyan po ang layunin ko rin po, gusto kong ipagpatuloy ang kampanya ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa pamamagitan po ng pang-eengganyo po sa ating mga kababayan, sa ating mga kabataan to get into sports stay away from drugs. And to keep us healthy and fit. Ang mga atleta natin, kita n’yo ang fit nila. At mayroon silang pag-ukulan po ng panahon, lumayo sa iligal na droga,” he asserted.
