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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING SPORTS VARSITY TEAMS IN ELEMENTARY 
AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Sports engagement is a vital part in achieving holistic development 
among the youth. It is proven to not only promote physical fitness but also 
foster positive values to those who engage with them, such as 
resourcefulness, discipline, respect, teamwork, and the likes. Sports also 
provide healthy leisure options to young people and give them more 
opportunities for personal growth in order to become the assets of our 
nation.  
Article II, Section 17 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution stresses that 
"the State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, 
culture and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social 
progress, and promote total human liberation and development." 
Furthermore, Article XIV, Section 19 provides that "the State shall promote 
physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, 
and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to 
foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a 
healthy and alert citizenry." 
While there exist several programs to fulfill the abovementioned 
constitutional mandates, a gap seems to exist in the country’s programs 
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in sports, more particularly, as the Philippine Sports Commission 
pinpointed, in (1) spreading awareness in the positive impacts of sports 
and (2) providing access to it.1 
In response to this, this bill seeks to enjoin the establishment of 
varsity teams in public and private elementary and secondary schools. 
The Department of Education (DepEd) is hereby tasked to focus on the 
inclusion and strengthening of sports programs for athletes in their 
formative years. The DepEd shall be responsible in the training of 
coaches, provision of admission system for potential athletes, profiling of 
student athletes, securing the equipment for sports varsity, and other 
activities vital to the objective of this program.  
Institutionalizing sports varsity teams in basic education can pave 
the way for the provision of training facilities, which will provide young 
athletes more opportunities to play athletically at a higher level. Thus, this 
bill is also expected to help in the country’s goal of producing high-caliber 
athletes who can well-represent the Philippines in international sports 
competition, as it is proven that early exposure to sports is optimal for 
athletes’ development.  
For the reasons stated herein, the passage of this bill is earnestly 
sought. 
HON. EDUARDO “BRO. EDDIE” C. VILLANUEVA 
1 Philippine Sports Commission. Five-Year Sports Development Plan (Second Cycle), 2017-2022. 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ____ 
Introduced by CIBAC Party-List Representative 
HON. EDUARDO ‘BRO. EDDIE’ C. VILLANUEVA 
AN ACT  
INSTITUTIONALIZING SPORTS VARSITY TEAMS IN ELEMENTARY 
AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
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Philippines in Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Sports 
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Varsity Teams in Basic Education Act.” 
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SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of 
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the State to promote physical education and encourage sports programs, 
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league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for 
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international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and 
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excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry. 
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To this end, the State shall provide opportunities for optimal and 
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long-term development of Filipino athletes by expanding the base of 
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student athletes and increasing the time and frequency for their early 
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exposure, training, and competition through the institutionalization of 
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sports varsity teams in the basic education sector. 
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SEC. 3. Organization and Development of Sports Varsity 
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Teams. – To ensure the optimal and long-term development of Filipino 
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athletes, public and private elementary and secondary schools shall, as 
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far as practicable, organize and develop sports varsity teams. The school 
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shall endeavor to gradually expand the number of sport events that it 
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holds in accordance with the school’s after-school sports program, and 
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the interests of the students, coaches, and the community.  
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The establishment of varsity teams in traditional and indigenous 
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games, dances, and sports shall also be encouraged. 
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SEC. 4. Organization of Sports Varsity Team. – The organization 
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of sports varsity teams shall consider the following: 
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a. Presence of competent and committed teacher-coaches; 
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b. Availability of facilities and equipment;  
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c. Administrative support; and  
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d. Support of the community. 
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SEC. 5. Identification of Athletes. – The Department of Education 
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(DepEd) shall provide a sports varsity selection and admission system.  
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All K-12 learners who are officially enrolled in Elementary, Junior 
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High School, Senior High School, Open High School and Alternative 
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Learning Systems, especially those who participate in the after-school 
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sports program (ASSP) and who can meet the following requirements, 
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shall be able to join the school’s sports varsity teams: 
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a. Must have passed the physical fitness tests and skills tests; 
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b. With parental consent; and 
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c. In good academic standing. 
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SEC. 6. Selection and Deployment of Competent Coaches. – It 
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shall be the responsibility of the school administration to secure the 
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services of competent coaches. Teachers, including sports coordinators, 
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trained in sports coaching shall be the priority in the selection of coaches.  
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Former outstanding athletes from among the parents or community 
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residents may be tapped to serve as volunteer coaches in the sports 
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where they excel and gained national or international recognition. 
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Students and graduates of the Sports Track in the Senior High School 
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(SHS) shall also be tapped to provide assistance in the training of Sports 
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Varsity Teams.  
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The Sports Varsity Teams may also serve as a venue for the 
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practicum and/or immersion of students in the Sports Track.  
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SEC. 7. Recognition and Training of Coaches. – DepEd shall 
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create a mechanism to provide incentives and/or recognition to volunteer 
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coaches.  
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DepEd, in consultation with the Philippine Sports Commission, 
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National Sports Associations, Philippine Olympic Committee and the 
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private sector, shall also develop programs to train varsity coaches to 
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become certified trainers based on international standards.  
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SEC. 8. Time and Frequency of Training. – The implementing 
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school has the discretion to determine the time and frequency of training 
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of the varsity teams; Provided, That the trainings shall be conducted after 
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the regular class hours and shall not interfere with relevant academic 
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activities of the students.  
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SEC. 9. More Competition. – Aside from the calendar of regular 
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sports competitions conducted by the DepEd, private and public schools 
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shall organize varsity matches with neighboring schools. A league may be 
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composed of public and private schools. 
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Elementary and secondary schools may also partner with existing 
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stadiums and sports centers in the community to host varsity matches. 
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SEC. 10. Equipment for Sports Varsity. – It shall be the 
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responsibility of the school administration to secure the equipment 
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necessary to sustain the training of sports varsity teams. Such equipment 
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may be sourced from regular budget and extra-budgetary means, such as 
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donations from the community. 
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The DepEd, in consultation with the Philippine Sports Commission, 
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shall be responsible for maintaining a databank of standard facilities and 
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equipment, their technical specifications, suppliers, and indicative prices 
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of such facilities and equipment for every sport covered in international 
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competitions.  
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SEC. 11. Performance Profiling of Student Athletes.  – There 
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shall be a school-based profiling of student athletes. In case a student-
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athlete transfers to another school, it shall be the responsibility of his/her 
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former coaches to transmit his/her athletic profile to the new school to 
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ensure his/her proper recognition and continuous training and 
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development. The profile of the student-athlete shall show results of 
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his/her previous competition/s and improvement in clocking in the case of 
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measurable sports. 
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All elementary and secondary schools shall register and update 
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their student athletes’ profiles from time to time.  
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SEC. 12. Registry of Student Athletes. – DepEd shall maintain a 
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registry of student athletes and shall make this accessible to colleges and 
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universities, Philippine Sports Commission, National Sports Associations, 
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Philippine Olympic Committee and other private sport groups and 
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organizations, subject to the requirements of Republic Act No. 10173, 
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otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The registry shall be 
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used solely for identification of potential inclusion to varsity teams in 
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colleges and/or universities, or in the case of the Philippine Sports 
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Commission, for the selection of national athletes who shall represent the 
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Philippines in international sporting events. 
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The National Academy of Sports System, established under 
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Republic Act No. 11470, shall likewise have access to the registry of 
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student athletes and may use the same for recruitment purposes, subject 
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to its criteria for the selection and admission of students.  
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SEC. 13. Incentives. – The DepEd shall develop an incentives and 
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rewards system for schools that have supported the organization and 
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development of their varsity teams. 
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Teacher-coaches shall also be given service credits and/or 
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additional compensation or overtime pay for work performed in excess of 
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eight (8) hours in accordance with law. 
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SEC. 14. Appropriation. – The funds necessary for the 
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institutionalization of sports varsity teams, especially the provision of 
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equipment, in elementary and secondary schools, shall come from the 
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regular appropriation of DepEd. 
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SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety 
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(90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DepEd Secretary and the 
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Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, upon consultation with 
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relevant stakeholders, shall promulgate the rules and regulations 
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necessary for the implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 16. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, 
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rules, regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this 
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Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
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SEC. 17. Separability Clause. – If, for any reason, any section or 
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provision of this bill is declared unconstitutional or invalid, other sections 
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or provisions hereof shall remain in force. 
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SEC. 18. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
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after publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
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Approved, 
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