MANILA, Philippines - Buoyed by the success of the Philippine National Games, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission are seeking an alliance with the Department of Education to consolidate the country’s grassroots development program.
There’s a need for them to sit down together to form a link among the Batang Pinoy, Palarong Pambansa and the recently concluded PNG to help the POC pinpoint potential athletes for the national team.
The POC and PSC are scheduled to meet with top DepEd officials any time soon.
POC president Peping Cojuangco Jr. said this effort and the solid partnership of the POC and PSC have encouraged the private sector to join the mission with Summit Natural Drinking Water a staunch supporter.
“The partnership between POC and Summit Natural Drinking Water is relevant for our athletes. It is important that our athletes have access to clean drinking water,’’ said Cojuangco.
Proud to be the official bottled water of the POC, Summit Natural Drinking Water provides the hydration needs of athletes to sustain their physical and mental edge.
“We support our athletes because we believe in their potential, not just to inspire our fellow Filipinos but also the international community as well,” said Eli Malicdem, Summit Natural Drinking Water brand assistant manager.
“We believe we can help athletes hone their skills, especially now that there’s a strong partnership between POC and PSC. The PNG is an important step that we take part of to accompany the athletes in their journey to aspire, perspire, and inspire,’’ added Malicdem.
Should the alliance among the POC, PSC and DepEd be successful, PSC chair Ritchie Garcia said the Batang Pinoy would graduate to the Palaro and from there, Palaro athletes could compete in the PNG.
The Batang Pinoy, a talent search program for athletes 12 years old and below, and the PNG, open to all national team aspirants and elite athletes regardless of age bracket, are organized by the POC and the PSC.
Under the DepEd, the Palaro is a multi-sport meet for the best school athletes from elementary and high school.
“The aim of the PNG is to give new talents a chance to show their wares and for people to see what’s going on in sports in a big way as opposed to every NSA (national sports association) conducting their own National Open, which sometimes end up getting very little attention,’’ said Cojuangco.
``This is just the beginning and we believe in the next PNG, we will be attracting more potential athletes that we could harness for future competitions.”