CALBAYOG CITY- Education Secretary Leonor Briones emphasizes the importance of sports in everyday life saying being sports-minded or physically fit could be a contributory factor how one could succeed in life.
Briones was in the city Thursday (February 8) to grace the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet which is held here which ended Friday.
She was welcomed by City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento and regional officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) lead by Director Ramir Uytico.
During her talks with the student-athletes, Briones emphasized on how important sports to everyone.
According to her, that development of critical thinking, capacity to ask questions and to innovate could not be gained by an individual if he or she is not fit in mind and body.
“You cannot do all your things if you are not fit in mind and in body and this is where sports is very important. Physical fitness is very important whether you are in academic or in vocational or in arts,” Briones said.
The Education Secretary said that a minimal number of students and their parents chose sports as their field saying being an athlete could also be financially rewarding.
“We think sports is only for young people who cannot finish school but sports in itself is a great profession. It is highly respected. It is also financially rewarding profession,” she said.
Sec. Briones said that of the 1.9 million students who are in the senior high school, only .001 percent have chosen sports as their field while 60 percent are taking academic, 39 percent had chosen vocational or technical course and the remaining percentage of students chose culture and arts.
Briones expressed her gratitude for the support of the city government of Calbayog and Rep. Sarmiento for the successful staging of this year’s EVRAA.
For EVRAA 2018, about P1.5 million was allocated by DepEd,P700,000 of this amount came from the budget from the regional office.
The Ormoc City Division is this year’s runaway champions with 98 gold, 44 silver and 60 bronze medals as of Thursday.
Last year’s champions, the Leyte Division, landed second with 64 gold, 53 silver and 39 bronze medals. (JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO/ROEL T. AMAZONA)