A Sprinter’s Dream or a Senator’s Scheme? Unmasking Bong Go’s NAS Regionalization Plan

By Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — July 4, 2025

IN THE sweltering gyms of Cagayan de Oro, 16-year-old Maria, a sprinter with Olympic aspirations, trains on a cracked concrete track, her family unable to afford the P20,000 one-way ticket to Manila’s National Academy of Sports (NAS). Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s June 19, 2025, proposal to regionalize the NAS, announced at its fifth anniversary in New Clark City, promises to bring elite sports training to places like Mindanao and Visayas, sparing young athletes like Maria the crushing cost of relocation. It’s a bold pitch for equity in a nation where geography often dictates destiny. But beneath the surface, political shadows, fiscal uncertainties, and logistical traps threaten to derail it. Is this a game-changer for Filipino youth or a polished distraction from Go’s ties to Duterte’s divisive legacy?

Peeling Back the Layers: Is This Reform or Political Posturing?

Political Smoke and Mirrors: Equity Push or Image Rehab?

Go’s plan to expand the NAS, established under Republic Act No. 11470 in 2020, is pitched as a lifeline for underprivileged youth in Visayas and Mindanao. Yet, skepticism festers, fueled by Go’s deep ties to former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose drug war remains under International Criminal Court scrutiny. Critics on X don’t mince words: one user sneered, “Nakikisawsaw sa sports si bonggo kahit anong gawin mo nakatatak na sa Mukha mo na kaalyado ka ng mga drug Lords” (X post, June 2025). The accusation, echoing a 2020 affidavit linking Go to the Davao Death Squad, casts doubt on his motives. Is this a heartfelt effort to uplift rural athletes or a bid to rebrand a Duterte loyalist as a populist hero?

Go’s record offers fuel for both sides. As Senate Committee on Sports chair since 2019, he’s driven historic wins—Philippines’ first Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 and a double-gold haul in Paris 2024 (Philippine Sports Commission, 2024). His push for facilities like Rizal Memorial Coliseum and Philsports Arena shows commitment. Yet, his 2025 Senate reelection, with a record 21 million votes, leaned heavily on Duterte’s base, raising questions about whether this is less about athletes and more about cementing a legacy amid Marcos-Duterte tensions. Institutional silence doesn’t quell the chatter: is this policy or politics?

Show Me the Money: Can the Philippines Bankroll This Vision?

With a national debt of 13.6 trillion PHP in 2025 and competing demands for healthcare and infrastructure, Go’s plan to build regional NAS campuses is a fiscal gamble. New facilities—land, equipment, coaches—could rival the P1 billion Go secured for the PSC in 2023 (Senate Hearing, 2023). Critics, including X sports analysts, argue for upgrading existing venues like Mindanao’s crumbling provincial gyms over new academies (X post, June 2025).

The New Clark City NAS, a gleaming 2019 SEA Games legacy, sets a high bar. Replicating it across regions risks stretching budgets thin, especially with 2026 GDP growth projected at 6.2% (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, 2025). Go’s talks with DepEd, CHED, and PSC are a start, but without a public cost breakdown, doubts linger: will quality suffer to meet ambition?

Winners and Losers: Who Really Benefits?

Athletes: A Shot at Glory or a Two-Tier Trap?

For athletes like Maria, regional NAS campuses could be life-changing. Relocation costs—often over P100,000 annually—force many to abandon dreams, with 30% of Filipino athletes quitting due to financial strain (Philippine Sports Institute, 2023). RA 11470’s academic-athletic model at New Clark City has proven effective, producing balanced student-athletes. Regionalizing could cut dropout rates and unearth talent from Davao or Cebu, where grassroots programs limp along.

But here’s the catch: uneven resources could create a “tale of two systems.” Rizal Memorial, despite upgrades, lags behind New Clark City, and provincial gyms often lack basic weight rooms (PSC Facility Report, 2024). If regional campuses are underfunded, they’ll churn out second-rate training, leaving Luzon’s hub as the gold standard.

Australia’s decentralized sports institutes, with uniform coaching, produced stars like Ariarne Titmus (Australian Institute of Sport, 2024). Indonesia’s regional academies, however, falter with inconsistent funding, contributing just 2% of its 2024 Olympic qualifiers (Jakarta Post, 2024). The Philippines must avoid this trap, but can it?

The Nation: Talent Boom or Bureaucratic Bust?

Nationally, the benefits are tantalizing. A broader talent pipeline could sustain Olympic momentum, with grassroots feeding elite competition. Go’s drug prevention angle checks out: a 2023 study found sports programs cut youth substance abuse by 40% (Philippine Journal of Sports Science, 2023). Local economies could gain from jobs and sports tourism, as seen during the 2023 FIBA World Cup (Department of Tourism, 2023).

Yet, bureaucratic bloat looms. RA 11470’s rollout has lagged—five years in, NAS enrollment and curriculum expansion remain below targets (NAS Annual Report, 2024). Scaling regionally risks mismanagement in a country where corruption scandals, like the 2018 frigate deal tangentially linked to Go, erode trust (Rappler, 2018). Without tight controls, funds could vanish into patronage networks, leaving athletes and taxpayers shortchanged.

Global Lessons: Blueprints and Blunders

Australia’s Institute of Sport shows how it’s done: regional centers with standardized coaching and funding breed champions. The Philippines could follow suit, but Indonesia’s cautionary tale—underfunded academies producing minimal results—looms large (Jakarta Post, 2024). A 2024 global study underscores coaching as 60% of performance variance (International Journal of Sports Science, 2024). Non-negotiable: uniform standards across NAS campuses, or regional athletes will be left in the dust.

Locking in Success: Demanding Accountability

To make Go’s vision reality, the government must deliver:

Unveil the Plan: Release a transparent roadmap with costs, timelines, and equity metrics (e.g., 20% Mindanaoan recruits by 2030). Public forums with athletes and coaches are non-negotiable to counter political skepticism.
Fortify Funding: Secure dedicated budgets, protected from political meddling. Third-party audits by the Commission on Audit must track every peso.
Put Athletes First: Mandate exit surveys to monitor program quality and flag disparities. A national oversight board with athlete voices should enforce consistent standards.

The Finish Line: Reform or Rhetoric?

Go’s NAS regionalization could rewrite Philippine sports, giving kids like Maria a fighting chance without leaving home. But promises aren’t enough. Can the Philippines fund this without starving healthcare or education? Will regional hubs rival New Clark City or become neglected outposts? And can Go shake off Duterte’s shadow to prove this isn’t just a reelection stunt?

Filipinos must demand answers—clear plans, locked-in funds, and athlete-driven oversight. Maria’s Olympic dreams, and those of countless others, hang in the balance. Hold them accountable.