DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 7 Jan) – The Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) in the Davao Region will hold an intensive sports development program this summer that seeks to develop more athletes among the out-of-school-youth (OSY).
PRISAA-Davao president Maria Lita Montalban, during the Davao Sportswriters’ Association (DSA) forum at the NCCC Mall, told reporters that this will be a good venue to expose the OSYs into sports, most especially the children in conflict with the law (CICLs).
Among the sports that will be included in the summer program include basketball, volleyball, badminton, and taekwondo, with participants coming from all 54 barangays of District 1 in the city.
Montalban said she is planning to bring in Manila players to train the participants.
“The barangay captains and purok leaders have been supportive to us,” she said.
Montalban, who is also president of EMARS Learning Center located at Crossing Matina in Davao City, said she will involve her 500 scholars in the activity.
She said it is necessary to develop the sports program as “this is one of the tracks of the K to 12 program.”
The two-year transition period for the K to 12 begins in the next school year.
Her scholarship program began in 2005.
Retired Supt. Dionisio Cotin Abude, former station commander of Talomo Police Station from 2012 to 2013, sought Montalban’s assistance to have 38 CICLs admitted to her school after he hatched the House of Hope, a facility within the police station that takes in the CICLs.
These CICLs were responsible for the series of robbery incidents in the area.
Montalban said there was a notable change in values of the CICLs while they are studying inside the classrooms.
“They become good members of our society. There is a change of values among the CICLs with sports,” she said.
She added that EMARS also holds Sunday schooling for 168 kids at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), with teachers coming from the her school.
Recently, City Councilor Mabel Sunga Acosta encouraged colleges and universities to strengthen sports scholarship grants so that more less fortunate children will be able to access college education.
She said this will be beneficial to students who cannot afford tertiary education but possess great potentials to excel in sports.