UAAP says its new “maximum allowable benefits” rule is a step towards levelling the recruitment playing field among eight member-schools, hoping this will lead to a more competitive setting among the different sports.
THE UAAP’s Board of Trustees has approved the “maximum allowable benefits” rule that will limit the proposed benefits and allowances offered to its newly recruited student-athletes for all eight member schools.
University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics Dean Kiko Diaz shared the news on UAAP Talk on Friday, discussing the set guidelines on the allowed recruitment benefits.
The rule will be imposed starting this year.
“This just to prove that the UAAP is working all this time kahit nasa pandemic tayo. Kahit wala tayong Season 83, tuloy-tuloy ang due diligence natin to help improve the league,” said Diaz, who is also the UP’s member of the UAAP Board of Managing Directors.
“To be enforced this Season 84 is the Maximum Allowable Benefits rule. Basically, nag-set ng guidelines ang UAAP na lahat na mare-receive na benefits ng student-athletes natin ay mayroong ceiling. This is done so that hindi tayo basta-basta mag-entice lamang ng kahit na sinong students para lang makapasok sa universities natin.”
The maximum allowable benefits rule gives equal “peso-for-peso” value for tuition fees, lodging, and others of each school as stated by the rule.
“And more importantly, it was hinged on the rationale na we want our student-athletes to enroll in the eight member universities of the UAAP because of either their sports development program, kung saan sila malakas na event, or dahil sa mga academic programs nila,” he continued.
UAAP officials said the move was in response to President Duterte signing Republic Act No. 11180, known as the Athletic Programs Report Act, into law on January 3, 2019 which requires higher education institutions to render reports about the participation and program support expenditures in all college athletic programs.
For the UAAP, the imposition of the rule is a step towards levelling the recruitment playing field among eight member-schools, hoping this will lead to a more competitive setting among the different sports.
"These measures are done to level the playing field in terms of recruitment," said Diaz.
"Lahat kami may niche in terms of academic programs at kanya-kanya ding sporting events na nagdo-dominate. And by virtue of that, medyo lamang agad yung university na yun sa pag-recruit ng specific players."
Tags: #universitysports, #UAAP, #studentallowances, #maximumallowablebenefits