Student-athletes who are planning to transfer to another school will no longer allowed to follow residency rules imposed by collegiate leagues in the country.
The Department of Education is set to enforce this after passing the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for RA 10676, also known as the “Student-Athletes Protection Act.
The act covers all public and private basic education schools, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Technical Vocational Institutions (TVIs), and athletic associations.
Because of this, student-athletes enrolling or transferring in another junior/senior high school, a college, or university will not be required to render residency.
At the same time, the student’s current school is prohibited from reimbursing scholarship benefits and other incentives given.
The student-athletes’ school of origin is also directed to release school records, grades, clearances, and eligibility for transfer at the behest of the student-athlete.
School officials are also prohibited from imposing other forms of sanctions on student athletes who are seeking to transfer to another school.
Many member schools in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have been known to impose sanctions and requires residency for any student athletes, who decide to leave their care. Peter Atencio