Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Jose Emmanuel Eala on Thursday emphasized the importance of mutual respect to ensure the harmonious relationship between the government sports agency and the national sports associations (NSAs).
Eala said the PSC recognizes the autonomy of the NSAs but it also has a right to monitor how the financial assistance given to the NSAs are spent.
“We assured the NSAs that we will respect their autonomy. However, it must be a responsible autonomy,” Eala said in a press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), which is also the venue of the PSC-NSA Consultative Meeting.
“This consultative meeting is just a start of our continuous coordination and working with the NSAs. The reception of NSAs is very positive, 68 out of 74 attended the meeting. I am very thankful for their support,” he added.
Aside from the plans and programs, the PSC also laid out the framework of its national sports agenda during the meeting.
Eala said the PSC will follow the mandates provided under Republic Act No. 6847 which created the sports commission in 1990.
“We will establish a Pathway to Success beginning with the ‘Duyan ng Magiting’ or the ‘Cradle of the Brave’ at the grassroots level leading to the tweaked version of the Gintong Alay which we will call Project: Gintong Laban which is the elite level,” Eala said.
While Gintong Alay is a godfather program, Eala said the current number of NSAs will be considered as the PSC “will pool the resources from these partners to equally distribute to our athletes.”
“The most important component of our program is ‘family.’ I believe that there is no grassroots program that can be successful without the component of family,” he said.
Lawyer Kenneth Joy Quimio of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Jeorge Lozano of the Commission on Audit were also present during the consultative meeting where they provided information to help NSAs with the required transactions and documents in their dealing with the PSC.
Eala, a former commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association, replaced William Ramirez, who was responsible for the country’s successful campaign and hosting of the 2019 SEA Games. (PNA)
