Poe to DepEd: Review Palaro, B Pinoy formats

MANILA, Philippines - In the light of the implementation of the K-12 curriculum, independent presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to review and redefine the rules and regulations governing its sports development programs like the Batang Pinoy and Palarong Pambansa.

“With an additional two years in the country’s high school program, regulations on school levels and age requirements, particularly in the Palarong Pambansa, should be reviewed by the DepEd,” said Poe.

Poe pointed out that questions about age may prove to be contentious in the future, considering that the growth rate among adolescents speed up between the ages of 15 and 18 years.

She made the call ahead of the 59 the edition of the Palarong Pambansa which will be hosted by the province of Albay in August next year. The nationwide multi-event competition is an annual event organized by the DepEd that is participated in by student-athletes from private and public elementary and high schools.

And her call may come at a no better time since the K-12 program will have its full implementation at the start of the next schoolyear with the entry of the country’s first batch of Grade 12 students.

“For sure, many records will be broken because the participants would be two years older than usual and presumable stronger and more experienced,” Poe noted.

As such, DepEd Palaro organizers may even want to create new categories or levels of competition to allow more student-athletes to compete at the level of their true potentials.

“Whereas, the Palaro may have had only elementary and high school level of competitions, these could be redefined to elementary, junior and senior high school levels,” she said.

And with the expected surge in the quality of competition, Poe said DepEd should also be prepared to preserve the records of past Palaro competitions “so that we will never forget achievements of those kids who had their roots in the DepEd-sponsored competition and went on to carve their niche in higher levels of competition.”