Futsal to debut in 2013 Palarong Pambansa as demonstration sport — DepEd

Futsal will be a demonstration sport in this year's Palarong Pambansa to be hosted by the province of Negros Oriental in April, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday.

 

Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali, DepEd spokesman and head of the education department's Task Force on School Sports, said in an interview with GMA News Online that the first futsal teams to be fielded will be made up of elementary school girls in teams of five members.

 

The DepEd official said futsal is suited to the Philippine education system which has about 40,000 public schools.

 

“Ngunit halos kalahati ng mga paaralan na iyan ay mayroon na pong basketball court na kung saan puedeng gawin ang futsal. Very basic skills na dapat malaman ng ating mga anak—feet hand, agility skills mangyayari kung sila po ay naglalaro ng futsal,” Umali said.

 

He said futsal is being introduced in the various regions and the DepEd is awaiting word from the field on how many teams will be field in the Palaro from April 21 to 27 in Dumaguete.  

In an earlier interview with GMA News Online, PFF president Mariano 'Nonong' Araneta said their national sports association opted to team up on football and futsal with the DepEd instead of mounting its own tournament.

 

Araneta said futsal is part of the PFF's Kasibulan grassroots program. “In some countries, they introduce futsal as their grassroots [program] for 6 to 8 [year-old kids] because [the game has] more touches and can be played on basketball courts.” 

 

He said the PFF has formed a futsal committee that is coordinating with the DepEd. Araneta said the PFF is helping the DepEd train its sports coaches and physical education teachers to acquaint them with the Laws of the Game of football. "Expenses of the pupil-athletes and school coaches relative to their participation in the Program shall be shouldered by the PFF. No funds coming from the Deped shall be used. There shall be no fund-raising activities by the field officials, public school administrators, or teachers for the said purpose," according to the DepEd Memorandum No. 188 on the Kasibulan program.

 

DepEd's Umali clarified in the interview with GMA News Online that the DepEd promotes school sports primarily to inculcate the discipline it takes to engage in sports while it is the Philippine Sports Commission with the primary mandate on sports.

 

The DepEd has special schools for sports where students gifted in sports abilities go through a different curriculum that allows more time and training for the competencies.

 

Umali also said the Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum reform includes a sports track for students who choose to undergo its specialized subjects.  — Earl Victor Rosero, GMA News