Confirmed last June 9, President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law the Republic Act No. 11470 that entails the establishment of the NAS at New Clark City in Tarlac wherein the 30th Southeast Asian Games was conducted.

The said academy for sports was built for young student-athletes who want to pursue professional sports and was offered for a secondary education program integrated with a special curriculum solely for their enhancement and development.

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) joined up in the initial preparations for the completion of NAS and will be headed by DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones and PSC Chairman William Ramirez as the vice-chairperson.

NAS was similar to the ones located in Singapore and Australia, Singapore Sports School, and the Australian Institute of Sports, respectively. NAS Executive Director and PSC Sports Psychology Unit Head Josephine Joy Reyes disclosed that they were eying to benchmark their system and adopt elite programs.

Other than annual sports meets like Palarong Pambansa, I believe that building an academy for sports accelerates the type of education the government can offer to the young generations.

Imagine a school pooled with talented athletes. Training and learning together at a school where sports are specialized is a good foundation for athletes to prepare for any national or international events or any sports-related career in the future.

Education always plays an integral role in a student’s well-being, so is choosing the right institution that caters to the demands of students. And when it comes to sports facilities, NAS can provide. This is why a lot of people put a lot of hope in the academy.

It would be great to see these athletes training under the care of the best coaches in the Philippines. Also, soon if NAS has completed and launched, it will become a school that pioneered in producing world-class playmakers in the Philippines.

With this kind of institution, it is an opportunity to be able to join because first, training facilities are world-class. Second, students will be training under elite and experienced coaches, and third, earning and attending quality education together with athletes of the same age.

It is an avenue for youths to improve their game performance and techniques by pushing each other to excel. Just imagine the potential of these athletes when they proceed to college and join collegiate teams.

With the full support from the government, NAS can help in advancing Philippines Sports into its next level of excellence.