The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Robert Andaya
The least privileged athletes are from public schools. So we should focus on public schools through a grassroots sports development program.”
With these words, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) through Commissioner Edward Hayco, hopes to discover more young and talented athletes who can someday represent the country in the Olympics and other major international competitions.
Hayco, who was appointed by President Marcos to the government sports body only last December, believes the PSC should focus on grassroots sports development as much as elite sports.
The 64-year-old businessman- sportsman from Cebu City said he was happy to get the full support of the PSC Board.
“In fact, Chairman (Richard) Bachmann and all the commissioners are very supportive to this crusade,” said Hayco in an interview with “Sports on Air”.
“I brought them already to Cebu, Baguio and Zamboanga for observation tour. There are three places in the country that are already practicing the grassroots program A few LGUs like Baguio, Cebu and Zamboanga are implementing it even in some parts of the Philippines. They showed and let them experience what a grassroots program looks like in the ground level,” added Hayco, also known as the”Godfather of Cebu Dancesports.”
“In Cebu, we are able to produce with Elreen Ando. As you all know, Ando is a pure product of the grassroots program in collaboration with the Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas, PSC, PRISAA, Deped, LGU and Cebu City Sports Commission. These are critical partnership-collaboration.”
Hayco said he brought fellow PSC officials to the provinces.
“I brought them to where it started. We have a pocket gym in the middle of a slum area. Dinala ko sila dun. Dumaan sila sa maraming putik, sa dumi sa daan at mga aso papuntang pocket gym where we specifically placed the grassroots for weightlifting in a middle of slum area. There were 50 about kids, and that’s what Ando and Eron Borres, who is a World Youth gold medalist, started.”
“Our program in grassroots basically involves 30-40 public schools. If you understand, 80-90 percent of our national athletes suprisingly comes from the provinces and public schools.”
“The other day, we have a deliberation with the Softball NSA. I asked a simple question to the secretary general. How many percent of national athletes are from the public schools? I’m not surprised with her answer that 100 percent are from public schools. That’s where the grassroots program should be and it should start at the intrams level,” explained Hayco.
Hayco also shared his thoughts with officials of the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI).
“We discussed a lot of things, including creating a school for sports program in DepEd. It should be a classroom-based, section-based because you can only control the athletes in public school if they are all in one classroom. The athletes should be in different classroom mixed with other kids. They cannot leave the classroom by 2 pm or 3 pm to practice. They have all to be in one classroom. If you’re on the ground, you will understand it,” explained Hayco.
“Another one is to campaign, classroom by classroom, to ask the kids to join the sports program. They don’t just go to you and to join a sport. You have to encourage and make them understand. These are things that happen on the ground level which doesn’t usually reach the top.”