A SPORTS Stakeholders Panel being spearheaded by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has called for the proper regulation of the coaching profession in the wake of the tragic deaths of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili in Aurora.
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said the decision to push for the regulation of coaching was made in a meeting with the Commission on Higher Education, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, UAAP, and the National Youth Commission representatives on Wednesday.
“Coaches wield tremendous influence over the lives and development of athletes. We must do our part to ensure that they are not only empowered to lead, but also educated, trained, and held to standards that promote athlete safety, welfare, and responsible coaching practices,” said the panel in a statement read during a press conference.
“We will push for the enactment of a law regulating the coaching profession, including the establishment of a national registry, mandatory licensing and certification, and continuing professional development requirements for coaches and sports professionals.”
“We support the proposed Sports Coaching Act (House Bill 2631), implementation must be undertaken in partnership with National Sports Associations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders,” the statement added.
Calls for accountability
Calls for accountability have surfaced after Baterbonia and Adili tragically died on Monday afternoon in a drowning incident while in the middle of the team-building session by Ateneo.
The panel made it clear that it was formed to help craft policies so the tragic incident will not happen again, and not to investigate the incident.
“This is not a fact-finding committee. The role is to understand what happened and to understand that it should not happen again,” said Gregorio in the press conference.
The panel has also called for safety protocols in such activities.
“We shall also establish more robust safety standards, risk management protocols, and emergency response capabilities across all levels of sport–including standardizing safely protocols on the conduct of athlete training programs.
"As part of this effort, the PSC is currently working with Philippine Life Saving, under the guidance of Surf Life Saving Australia, to expand water safety education, certification, and preparedness programs for sports personnel,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has conducted its own fact-finding committee following the tragedy.
“We recognize the efforts of CHED in responding swiftly to this tragedy. The day after the incident, the Commission immediately commenced with a fact-finding mission to assess the conduct of the team-building activity pursuant to CHED Memorandum Order No. 63 Series 2017 (Policies and Guidelines on Local Off-Campus Activities),” said the Sports Stakeholders’ Panel in a statement.
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