Go pushes for stronger national sports program

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go has reaffirmed his resolve to strengthen grassroots sports development and prioritize legislation that benefits ordinary Filipinos as he begins a new six-year term in the Senate.

Go secured a historic and overwhelming 26 million votes in the recently concluded midterm elections.

“Unang-una po, maraming, maraming salamat po sa ating mga kababayan sa inyong patuloy na suporta at tiwala sa akin bilang inyong senador,” said Go.

“Napakahalaga po nito, parang ito na po ‘yung performance rating namin na kung kami ho ba ay nagserbisyo, nagtrabaho noong nakaraang anim na taon.”

Among Go’s legislative priorities is a long-standing sports development agenda rooted on grassroots access and regional equity.

“Sports rin po. Grassroots sports program. Ipinaglaban ko rin po itong National Academy of Sports,” he said.

Go authored and co-sponsored Republic Act 11470, which established the National Academy of Sports (NAS) – a specialized institution in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac, offering a dual-track system that integrates quality secondary education with an elite sports curriculum. He emphasized plans to expand the NAS model to the Visayas and Mindanao.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports since 2019, Go has pushed for sufficient government support to usher in a transformative era in Philippine sports.