PSC Chairman Pushes for Charter Amendment to Cover Professional Athletes
Key Takeaways
- •PSC Chairman John Patrick C. Gregorio called for amending the agency's charter at a Senate briefing, citing its restriction of support to amateur athletes.
- •Republic Act No. 6847, enacted in 1990, defines the PSC's mandate as national amateur sports promotion and development.
- •The 1990 charter was written before international sports bodies broadly allowed professional players in multi-sport events, with professionals first competing in Olympic basketball in 1992.
- •National-team athletes who turn professional remain eligible for the Olympics and Asian Games but cannot always receive PSC assistance such as uniform subsidies and international training.
- •Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go said the Senate will study expanding the PSC's capacity through legislation, which would require Congress to amend the 1990 law.
MANILA — Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman John Patrick C. Gregorio has called for amending the agency's charter, warning that its current focus on amateur athletes leaves professional athletes struggling for support.
Speaking at a Senate briefing on Wednesday, Mr. Gregorio said the commission is only able to provide continuous financial and training assistance to amateur athletes.
The limitation stems from Republic Act No. 6847, the Philippine Sports Commission Act enacted in 1990, which defines the PSC's mandate as "national amateur sports promotion and development." The 1990 charter was written before international sports bodies broadly admitted professional players to multi-sport events — a shift that saw professional basketball players compete at the Olympics for the first time in 1992.
"[I]t states 'to serve only and to support only amateur athletes,' which is why we have instances where we have technical issues because we have national athletes who are professional players because professionals can now compete in the Olympics… and Asian Games," he said.
According to Mr. Gregorio, the PSC subsidizes uniforms and international training for athletes classified as amateur, and maintains such support even after events like the Asian Games. The charter's narrow definition, however, means the commission cannot always extend the same assistance to professional players — a gap that directly affects national-team athletes who turn professional yet remain eligible for the Olympics and the Asian Games.
Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go said the Senate will study whether it is time to expand the PSC's capacity through legislation. Any change to the commission's coverage would require Congress to amend the 1990 law, making the Senate's review the first step in that process.
— Francessca S. Abalos, BusinessWorld Online
