MEMBERS of the House of Representatives on Wednesday night approved a measure that aims to support young Filipino athletes by establishing a sports voucher system that they can use for their training or for buying sports equipment.

With an overwhelming 275 votes, the bigger chamber approved House Bill (HB) No. 8495 entitled “An Act Strengthening Local Sports Programs to Develop Young Athletes,” which also provides funds to sports clubs, organizations or associations accredited or recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

“Our victories and triumphs in the last Olympics and the recent South East Asian Games only prove that, with more support for our sports programs, Filipino athletes can certainly dominate the world stage of sports.

This is what the bill is trying to achieve by supporting athletes while they are young,” Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, leader of the 312-member House of Representatives, said.

Some of the principal authors of the bill are Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude Acidre, Bai Dimple Mastura, Ramon Jolo Revilla III, Alfred Delos Santos, Lord Allan Velasco, Ernesto Dionisio Jr., Gus Tambunting, Jose Teves, Mujiv Hataman, Rudys Caesar Fariñas I and Manuel Dalipe.

Under HB 8495, program funds are allotted for three main categories: Get Started Fund, Get Going Fund and Get Playing Fund, all will be managed by the PSC.

The Get Started Funds provide young athletes, including those with disabilities, with an annual discount voucher worth P3,000 to “help pay for their membership, registration, participation, training, or general fees, including the purchase of sports equipment and uniforms.”

These vouchers, the measure said, “can be redeemed at any sports club, recreation club, sports association or organization that is duly accredited or recognized by the PSC and have facilities and activities which can provide the proper, well-equipped, safe, healthy, comfortable, and accessible venue and opportunities for training and competition.”

According to the measure, to avail of the sports voucher, an athlete must be under 18 years old and is actively engaged in any sports; a member of any local sports club, organization or association; and a resident in the locality where the sports club, association or organization is located.

Sports vouchers are not redeemable for cash, are non-transferrable and cannot be used once redeemed.

The Get Going Fund and the Get Playing Fund, meanwhile, provide annual funding support to accredited sports clubs, organizations or associations in the amounts of P50,000 and P500,000, respectively.

The Get Going Fund is for the sustainability of existing projects and programs that promote grassroots sports development, while the Get Playing Fund is for the improvement of sports facilities to encourage more young athletes to become actively involved in the sports activity of their choice.

The PSC is mandated to come up with the implementing rules and regulations of the measure, and funding requirements of the program will be included in the funds of the commission under the General Appropriations Act.