City Council completes formulation of sports Development Code
BAGUIO CITY – The city council has finally completed the formulation of the city’s Sports Development Code. The said code has gone through public consultations and thorough council deliberations for its revision and enhancement.
The very first draft of the proposed ordinance adopting a comprehensive sports development code for the City of Baguio was filed in November 2019. The final version of the code was finally approved by the council on third and final reading on March 22, 2021.
The recently approved sports code provides for the guidelines, rules, and regulations in the improvement/development of the athletes who are representing the city in regional, Luzon-wide, national, and international sports competitions.
The sports code also aims to establish Baguio City as a sports center in the north so as to be able to provide citizens in all ages opportunities to learn fundamental values through sports.
Further, the code is designed to be pro-poor and inclusive taking into consideration the different socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, talents, and capabilties of athletes and sports enthusiasts.
Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, Chairperson of Sanggunian’s Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development, said the sports code will enable the city government to collaborate with private individuals and organizations to initiate and coordinate sports activities in the city in order to realize policies anchored on the principle of inclusivity and diversity in sports.
“Through this comprehensive sports code, we will be able to provide more opportunities for growth and further enhance a better sports promotion and development for athletes, coaches, and sports enthusiasts,” Orcales said.
The ordinance has been forwarded to the City Mayor’s Office for signing before its implementation.
The following are the salient features of the sports code:
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙡 (𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙄)
Under the ordinance, the City Sports Council will be created chaired by the City Mayor and co-chaired by the Sanggunian’s Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development. The City Administrator will be appointed as the action officer and the Sports and Recreation Division Head as the secretary. Members of the sports council will come from different city government offices, non-government associations, and sports associations.
The primary function of the sports council is to serve as a recommending body of the city on matters concerning sports and recreation.
The sports council may also create committees to address concerns in marketing, promotions, sports tourism, media, athletes with disabilities,sports medicine, sports infrastructure and facilities, and barangay sports, among others.
𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 (𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙄𝙄)
All athletes, trainers and coaches, and local sports associations (LSAs) in the city must register with the City Sports Council. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to represent the city in any sports event, and they will not be granted cash incentives and other forms of assistance from the city government.
There should only be one LSA per sports discipline. Should it happen that there are multiple LSAs for a certain sports discipline, these LSAs should consolidate into one entity. Otherwise, they will not be registered with the City Sports Council.
The Sports Council may assist the LSAs in their accreditation to their respective National Sports Associations by issuing an endorsement.
𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 (𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙑)
The City Sports Council will create a selection committee tasked to identify or select athletes who will represent the city in regional and national sports competitions. The selection process can be done by conducting interviews, try-outs and training exercises, qualifying/elimination tournaments, and other necessary methodologies.
Selection criteria for qualified athletes include performance, statistics/standing, development potential, potential to compete at the top level, experience, fitness, skills, attitude, mental toughness, personal characteristics, age, and feedback from their coaches.
Baguio-attached athletes or those who are members of any recognized sports club, organization, association, and discipline accredited by the city government may be allowed to represent the city and participate in national competitions if there are no other qualified Baguio resident athletes to compete for the sporting event. They are entitled to cash incentives and other forms of assistance/benefits provided in this ordinance only when they are expressly allowed by the city government to participate in national sports competitions.
On the other hand, a coach with the greatest number of winning athletes at the time of the selection process will be designated as the official coach for the duration of the competition and will receive incentives as provided by this sports code.
𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣 (𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙑)
The City Sports Council will create a City Sports Development Plan that aims to develop a mass-based, pro-poor sports and recreation activities fostering self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence among Baguio citizens.
The development plan must include the following key result areas in order to attain the goals of the sports code:
A barangay sports development for inter-district sports competitions; a school-based sports development program for inter-school sports competitions; individual and team sports competition management; sports tourism promotion; facilities and equipment physical plan; modernization of sports facilities; and PWDs’ sports development plan.
Specific steps for implementation are spelled under each key result area in the sports code.
Under the sports code, the sports events/disciplines recognized by the city government are ball games, batted balls and racket games, combat sports, indoor sports, outdoor and shooting events, track, field, road, and race track events, and virtual games/e-sports.
Baguio-based athletes are encouraged to participate in the various local and national sports programs and other sporting events recognized by the city government as follows:
Palarong Pambansa, Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL), Cordillera Administrative Region Tertiary Association Games (CARTESA), CHED games, Batang Pinoy, LuzViMin friendship games, Philippine National Games (PNG), sports tourism events (Panagbenga sports events, SumVac sports events, Baguio Charter Day sports events, Mr. Baguio Day bodybuilding competition, National Bike Day, Independence Day sports events), sectoral sports, Association of Barangay Council’s sportsfest, SK Federation sportsfest, Baguio Sportswriters Association Awards Nights, Kafagway Sports Awards, and other special events promoting sports under the sponsorship of the city government or sanctioned by concerned sports agencies/committees.
The Sports and Recreation Division is tasked to conduct and institutionalize a whole-year program to complement the aforementioned regular programs including in the program activities such as summit and sports clinic; seminars and trainings for coaches, referees, and sports leaders; regular tournaments and physical fitness sports for the exposure of athletes; and exhibition games; among others.
They should ensure that there is an involvement in the programs of different sectors such as but not limited to PWDs, out-of-school-youth, street children, students, and delegates from other provinces/regions.
Under the sports code, every 7th day of December of every year is declared as the Baguio City Sports Day to celebrate the milestone of sports development in the city and the men and women behind the success of sports in the city. The celebration shall be in coordination with all athletes, coaches, local sports associations, private organizations, government offices and individuals who have contributed in the city’s sports promotion and development.
𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮, 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 (𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙑𝙄𝙄)
To address inadequacy of sports supplies and equipment, the sports code urges the adoption of the following strategies:
Request for funding assistance from the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC); include in the city’s long-term development program the provision of adequate and high sports supplies and equipment with the allocation of necessary funds; improve the management, maintenance, and operation of sports equipment owned by the city government; continue upgrading and modernizing operation sports equipment owned by the city government; and make all sports equipment available and free of charge for all Baguio-resident athletes and Baguio-based athletes and coaches.
A sports facility operations manual will be formulated by the City Sports and Recreation Division subject to the approval of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to ensure effective management and usage of the city’s sports facilities, equipment, and playing grounds. The manual will also define details on the generation of income from the operation of the city’s sports facilities.
The sports code also spells out guidelines on the following areas:
Professional sports for Baguio-based athletes and coaches (Article VIII); training, coaching, and administration of sports development activities (Article IX), sports and fitness program for local government officials and employees (Article X), invitational sports events (Article XI), official delegation to sporting events (Article XII), cash incentives for athletes in coaches in national sports competitions (Article XIII), cash incentives for athletes in coaches in international sports competitions Article (XIV), other benefits and privileges for athletes and coaches (Article XV), penalties and cancellation of benefits and privileges (Article XVI), and marketing, research, and funding (Article XVII). -Jordan G. Habbiling
