TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES​
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES​ ​
) 
First Regular Session​
​
) 
HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE 
BILL No. 3528
INTRODUCED BY HON. RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
“We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in 
order to build a just and humane society and establish a Government that shall 
embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and 
develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of 
independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, 
freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.” 
The national vision embodied in the 1987 Constitution, through its 
Preamble, requires a citizenry with a strong foundation of discipline, teamwork, 
commitment, and resilience. Sports is a powerful, primary instrument for the 
formation of these values. It teaches us to strive, to collaborate, and to maintain 
not just physical fitness, but total mental, emotional, and even spiritual formation 
and health. 
Beyond character formation, which is invaluable, sports and sports tourism 
represent a huge opportunity for the Philippines. Globally, sports tourism is 
emerging as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the tourism industry. The global 
sports tourism market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 
16.43% between 2024 and 2032, from USD 544.38 billion in 2023 to USD 
2,089.58 billion by 2032.1 
Our own experience confirms this potential. The 2019 30th Southeast 
Asian (SEA) Games generated over Php 500 million in revenue.2 On a larger 
scale, co-hosting the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup created an economic 
impact of Php 17.8 billion.3 Projections for hosting a single future event like the 
Volleyball World Championship estimate a total economic impact of over USD 40 
million and an alignment with a destination tourism market valued at USD 5.4 
billion.4  
4 Projections from Volleyball World Championship
3 Henson, J. The Philippine Star (2024). P17.8 billion impact from FIBA World Cup. 
https://www.philstar.com/sports/2024/02/03/2330530/p178-billion-impact-fiba-world-cup 
2 Partlow, M. Philippine News Agency (2019). Sports tourism boosts tourist arrivals in Dumaguete. 
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1088794 
1 World Tourism Forum Institute (2025). The Explosive Growth of the Sports Tourism Market: A $2 Trillion Opportunity by 2032. 
https://live.worldtourismforum.net/news/Catch-up-the-latest-news-in-tourism-industry/The-Explosive-Growth-of-the-Sports-Tourism-
Market-A-2-Trillion-Opportunity-by-2032
1 
August 12, 2025
10:40 am


Yet, despite our proven capability to host world-class events and earning 
praise for our people’s renowned hospitality, we fail to consistently translate this 
potential into lasting national success. For too many Filipinos, sports remains a 
dream rather than a viable and honored profession. It is a calling we deny to our 
own people because we lack the right systems, support, and structures. This 
systemic weakness is most evident in the Olympics. The long wait between the 
1996 boxing silver medal by Mansueto Velasco and Hidilyn Diaz's historic gold in 
weightlifting in 2020 highlights the challenges faced by Filipino athletes in 
reaching their full potential on the world’s biggest sporting stage.  
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), established in 1990 through 
Republic Act No. 6847, is mandated to, among others, “provide the leadership, 
formulate the policies and set the priorities and direction of all national amateur 
sports promotion and development, particularly giving emphasis on grassroots 
participation.” However, its focus on grassroots participation may not fully 
address the needs of elite athletes to compete at the highest levels of sports 
competitions.  
In 2001, Republic Act No. 9155 or the “Governance of Basic Education Act 
of 2001” abolished the Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports (BPESS) 
and transferred “[a]ll functions, programs and activities of the Department of 
Education related to sports competition” to the Philippine Sports Commission 
(PSC). While physical education remains in the curriculum, this shift has 
weakened overall sports development. 
This measure will address the perennial challenges that hinder the growth 
of Philippine sports. This bill proposes the creation of a Department of Sports, a 
cabinet-level agency that will provide focused leadership for national sports 
promotion and development, and address the needs of athletes, coaches, 
trainers, and sports officials across all levels. With a dedicated department, we 
can find comprehensive solutions to the problems besetting Philippine sports, 
particularly the lack of a coherent national sports program, the need to enhance 
the partnership with various sectors involved in sports, obsolete training 
methods, lack of modern and high-quality training facilities, equipment, and 
sports venues. 
In line with the policy adopted by its original proponent Senator Alan Peter 
“Compañero” S. Cayetano, this bill therefore serves as a counterpart measure. It 
is for the reason stated above that the passage of this measure is earnestly 
sought. 
RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES​
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES​ ​
) 
First Regular Session​
​
) 
HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE 
BILL No. 3528
INTRODUCED BY HON. RICARDO S. CRUZ, JR. 
AN ACT 
CREATING THE DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS, DEFINING ITS POWERS AND 
FUNCTIONS, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
Section 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Department of 
Sports Act of 2025.” 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the 
State: 
(a) To recognize the role of citizens, especially the youth, in nation-building,
promote and ensure equal access to sports and other physical recreational
activities regardless of sex, gender, race, or socioeconomic status, and
protect and preserve desirable social, cultural, moral, and spiritual values
in a changing world.
(b) To promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league
competitions, and amateur sports at the grassroots level to foster
self-discipline, teamwork, and the development of a healthy and alert
citizenry;
(c) To institute a focused and comprehensive program for the training of
national athletes for international competitions, with the goal of achieving
excellence on the world stage, thereby inspiring patriotism and fostering
national pride;
(d) To recognize the importance of promoting excellence in sports to foster
patriotism, 
nationalism, 
gallantry, accelerate social progress, and
contribute to total human development;
(e) To insulate the national sports development program from partisan politics,
ensuring that programs are implemented based on merit and not used as
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instruments for political patronage or personal aggrandizement of any 
public official; 
 
(f)​ To ensure that the delivery of services, funding, and support to athletes, 
coaches, and sports organizations is efficient, timely, and free from 
unnecessary bureaucratic red tape; 
 
(g)​To create the infrastructure and promote capacity building for broad-based 
sports and to achieve excellence in various competitive events at the 
national and international levels. 
 
Sec. 3. Creation of the Department of Sports. — There is hereby 
created the Department of Sports, hereinafter referred to as the “Department”, 
which shall carry out the above-declared policy and assume the promotion and 
development of sports and physical fitness in the country. 
 
Sec. 4. Mandate. — The Department shall be the primary policy, planning, 
coordinating, implementing, regulating, and administrative entity of the executive 
branch of the Government that will formulate, promote, and develop the national 
sports development agenda for the country. 
 
Sec. 5. Powers and Functions. — To carry out its mandate, the 
Department shall: 
  
(a)​Formulate, adopt, and implement a comprehensive national sports 
development plan, as well as other policies, programs, and guidelines 
that will promote the development and harness the potential of all Filipino 
athletes, coaches, and trainers, with due consideration to their welfare 
and potential for success as national athletes competing locally and 
internationally; 
 
(b)​Plan, implement, and oversee an integrated sports promotion and 
development program for the country, in coordination with the various 
sectors involved in sports, including but not limited to the national sports 
association, sports organization, and private stakeholders; 
 
(c)​Oversee and support the participation of athletes in domestic and 
international sports competitions; 
 
(d)​Establish and maintain linkages with international sports federations, 
national sports organizations of other countries, and international 
non-governmental organizations; 
 
(e)​Establish, develop, and maintain world-class, fully-equipped sports 
facilities and centers in strategic places in the country and, as far as 
practicable, include modern sports complexes adequate for hosting major 
international competitions; 
 
(f)​ Acquire, use, and control any land, buildings, facilities, equipment, 
instruments, tolls, and rights required or otherwise necessary for the 
accomplishment of the objective of the department; 
 
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(g)​Supervise and improve the standard of sports coaches and coaching 
staff; 
 
(h)​Ensure a sustainable funding mechanism for the implementation of 
sports policies, plans, programs, projects, and other activities. 
 
​
In recognition of the autonomy of the Philippine Olympic Committee 
(POC) as the representative of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and 
the respective National Sports Associations (NSAs), the authority to select the 
athletes and coaches who will form the official national team for IOC-sanctioned 
competitions such as the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and Southeast Asian 
Games, shall remain the prerogative of the relevant NSAs as recognized by the 
POC. 
 
Sec. 6. The National Sports Development Agenda. – The Department 
shall formulate and implement a unified National Sports Development Agenda, 
which shall serve as the blueprint for the country’s short, medium, and long-term 
sports development. The Agenda shall be comprehensive, athlete-centered, and 
inclusive. It shall have, at a minimum, the following mandatory components: 
 
(a)​Grassroots Sports Promotion – Programs to ensure broad-based 
public involvement in sports and physical recreational activities, 
especially among the youth; 
 
(b)​Elite Sports Development – A focused program for the 
identification, training, and comprehensive support of national 
athletes and teams for success in international competitions, 
including but not limited to the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, 
Asian Games, and Southeast Asian Games; 
 
(c)​Sports Science and Education – Integration of modern sports 
science, medicine, nutrition, and technology into athlete training and 
development programs; 
 
(d)​Sports Infrastructure – A master plan for the development, 
maintenance, and modernization of sports facilities across the 
country, ensuring they meet national and international standards; 
 
(e)​Coaching and Human Resource Development – Programs for the 
continuous education, certification, and professionalization of 
coaches, trainers, and sports officials; 
 
(f)​ Public-Private Sector Partnership – A framework to encourage 
and manage collaboration with the private sector, civil society, and 
other stakeholders to generate resources and support for sports; 
 
(g)​Sports for All – Programs that ensure equal access for persons 
with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities. 
 
Sec. 7. Organization. —  
 
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A.​ Secretary — The authority and responsibility for the exercise of 
the mandate of the Department and for the discharge of its powers 
and functions shall be vested in the Secretary of Sports, who shall 
be appointed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines. 
The Secretary shall have the following functions: 
 
(1)​Provide executive direction and supervision over the entire 
operations of the Department and its attached agencies; 
 
(2)​Establish policies and standards for the effective, efficient, 
and economical operation of the Department, in accordance 
with the programs of government; 
 
(3)​Review and approve requests for financial and manpower 
resources of all operating offices of the Department; 
 
(4)​Designate and appoint officers and employees of the 
Department, 
excluding 
undersecretaries, 
assistant 
secretaries, regional executive directors, and assistant 
regional directors, in accordance with all relevant civil 
service rules; 
 
(5)​Exercise disciplinary powers over officers and employees of 
the Department in accordance with law, including their 
investigation and the designation of a committee or officer to 
conduct investigations; 
 
(6)​Coordinate with other agencies, as well as public and private 
interest groups, including non-government organizations, on 
the Department’s policies and initiatives; 
 
(7)​Prepare and submit to the President through the Department 
of Budget and Management an estimate of the necessary 
expenditures of the Department during the next fiscal year, 
on the basis of the reports submitted by the bureaus and 
offices under his/her jurisdiction; 
 
(8)​Advise the President on the promulgation of executive and 
administrative orders, and formulation of regulatory and 
legislative proposals on matters pertaining to sports 
programs; 
 
(9)​Formulate such rules and regulations and exercise such 
other powers as may be required to implement the 
objectives of this Act; and 
 
(10)​ Perform such other tasks as may be provided by law or 
assigned by the President of the Republic of the Philippines. 
 
B.​ Undersecretaries. — There shall be five (5) undersecretaries who 
shall be appointed by the President of the Republic of the 
Philippines upon the recommendation of the Secretary and the 
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Career Service Executive Board, which shall consist of the 
following positions: 
(a)​Undersecretary for Administration and Finance; 
(b)​Undersecretary for Legal Affairs; 
(c)​Undersecretary for Policy and Planning;  
(d)​Undersecretary for Operations; and 
(e)​Undersecretary for Public Information and Domestic and 
International Relations. 
  
C.​Assistant Secretaries. — Each Undersecretary shall be assisted 
by at least one (1) Assistant Secretary who shall be appointed by 
the President of the Republic of the Philippines upon the 
recommendation of the Secretary. Each Assistant Secretary shall 
be assigned to head a key service, bureau, or functional cluster of 
the Department, and shall perform such other duties and functions 
as may be provided by law or delegated by the Secretary. 
 
D.​Regional Executive Directors. — There shall be a Regional 
Executive Director in each region who shall be responsible for 
efficiently and effectively carrying out the duties and responsibilities 
of his office. 
  
E.​ Structure and Staffing Pattern. — The organizational framework 
and staffing pattern of the Department shall be prescribed and 
approved by the Secretary within ninety (90) days after the 
approval of this Act, and the authorized position created therein 
shall be approved by the Department of Budget and Management, 
which shall be filled through the job opportunity list of the Civil 
Service Commission Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other 
Human Resource Actions. 
 
Sec. 8. Qualifications. — No person shall be appointed Secretary, 
Undersecretary, or Assistant Secretary of the Department unless he or she is a 
citizen and resident of the Philippines, of good moral character, of proven 
integrity and possesses at least ten (10) years of proven experience and 
recognized competence in sports administration, sports management, physical 
education, or a related field. 
 
Sec. 9. Reorganization of Relevant Agencies. — The Philippine Sports 
Commission is hereby abolished, and its powers and functions, applicable funds 
and appropriations, records, equipment, property, and personnel are transferred 
to the Department. 
 
The Games and Amusement Board and the National Academy of Sports 
shall retain their powers and functions but be attached to the Department, which 
shall have overall supervision over them. 
 
Sec. 10. Incentives for Private Sector Support. — (a) All donations, 
contributions, bequests, and grants to the Department shall be exempt from 
donor's tax and shall be considered as allowable deductions from the gross 
income of the donor for purposes of computing the taxable income of the donor 
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in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, 
as amended. 
 
(b) The importation of sports equipment, instruments, and capital 
equipment shall be exempt from customs duties, taxes, and tariffs: Provided, 
That such sports equipment, instruments, and capital equipment are not 
available locally in the same quality and for the same price. 
 
(c) The Department may, in recognition of significant contributions, 
authorize the naming of sports facilities, programs, or events after a donor or any 
person of their choosing, subject to the rules and regulations which shall be 
promulgated by the Secretary. Such recognition shall be granted in a manner that 
upholds the public interest and the integrity of the national sports program. 
 
(d) All delegations or representatives to any international competition, 
conventions, meetings, and events shall be exempt from the payment of travel 
tax, airport tax, and other related taxes or fees now or hereafter imposed by laws 
or regulations. 
 
Sec. 11. Sports Facilities. — The administration, supervision, and full 
control of all existing sports facilities, including land, buildings, and equipment, 
owned by the national government as well as those owned by a 
government-funded foundation, organization, association, and entity shall be 
transferred to the Department. 
 
Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the Department shall 
conduct a comprehensive inventory and assessment of all sports facilities, land, 
and properties transferred to it. This assessment shall determine their current 
physical condition, operational status, and potential for modernization or 
redevelopment. The findings shall be used as the basis for the formulation of a 
National Sports Infrastructure Master Plan, which shall guide future investments 
and ensure the optimal use of government assets for sports development. 
 
Sec. 12. Reportorial Requirements. — The Department together with the 
Attached Agencies shall, within ninety (90) days after the end of every fiscal year, 
submit to the Congress an annual report on the status of the implementation of 
this Act including but not limited to the organization and its operation, application, 
administration, execution, the effectiveness of its programs, and public 
expenditures as may be determined by the Congressional Oversight Committee.  
 
The annual report should also include the Department’s accomplishments 
under this Act, together with its plans and recommendations to improve and 
develop its capability to enforce its provisions, and a complete accounting of 
transactions with respect to any funds received under this Act. 
 
Sec. 13. Appropriations. — The amount needed for the initial 
implementation of this Act shall be taken from the current year’s appropriations of 
the PSC by virtue of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for its 
continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations 
Act. 
 
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Sec. 14. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act or the 
application of such provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid for any 
reason, the remainder of this Act or the application of such provision to other 
persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 
 
Sec. 15. Repealing Clause. — The provisions of any law, whether general 
or special, rules and regulations, and other issuances or parts thereof which are 
inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
 
Sec. 16. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of 
general circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
  
 
Approved, 
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