07/09/2026
The Department of Education (DepEd) plans to strengthen physical education and sports programs in Philippine schools as part of efforts to provide students with more opportunities for active recreation outside online gaming. Education Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd wants learners to have access to activities that encourage them to go outdoors, interact with other students, and participate in sports. The initiative is being pursued with the Philippine Sports Commission and National Youth Commission, as the government looks for constructive alternatives to excessive time spent on online games.
From a Physical Education and Public Health perspective, increasing opportunities for sports can provide benefits extending well beyond athletic performance. Regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence supports cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, physical fitness, sleep, and healthy development. Sports can also provide opportunities to develop teamwork, discipline, communication, resilience, and social relationships. Digital games themselves are not inherently harmful, and gaming can provide recreation and social interaction, but problems can arise when excessive gaming repeatedly replaces physical activity, sleep, school responsibilities, or face-to-face interaction.
The effectiveness of DepEd's initiative will ultimately depend on whether schools have the facilities, equipment, trained teachers, safe spaces, and sufficient time needed to make sports genuinely accessible to students. Strengthening PE should also mean giving learners different options rather than expecting everyone to excel in competitive athletics. Activities such as running, badminton, basketball, volleyball, dance, swimming, martial arts, and recreational fitness can help students discover forms of movement they actually enjoy. The goal does not have to be eliminating online gaming. It can instead be creating a healthier balance where Filipino students have compelling reasons to put down the screen, move their bodies, play with friends, and experience recreation beyond the digital world.
Science Department |