WHEREAS, it is the declared policy to vigorously pursue a comprehensive national amateur sports development program, as enunciated under Presidential Decree No. 604 dated December 10, 1974;

WHEREAS, it is found that the amateur sports development thrust is being weakened by the indiscriminate practice of recruiting promising amateur players into the professional ranks;

WHEREAS, it is vital to the development and growth of amateur sports that there be a meaningful and effective measure to upgrade the standards of amateurism and improve the quality of amateur players consistent with our commitments to participate in regional and international competitions.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers in me vested by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree as follows:

SECTION 1. Recruitment of Amateurs.—No amateur player shall be recruited into the professional ranks and no professional shall be given or reverted to amateur status without the recommendation of the national sports association concerned and prior approval of the Department of Youth and Sports Development (DYSD). For this purpose, the national sports association, considering its particular requirements, shall promulgate the pertinent guidelines and applicable rules and regulations governing the change of status, and formulate such incentive schemes to encourage amateurism, subject to the approval of DYSD.

SECTION 2. National Pool of Athletes.—The accredited national sports association shall maintain, through the supervision and support of the National Youth and Sports Development Foundation created under Presidential Decree No.1289 dated January 25, 1978, a national pool of athletes for each sport, as may be recommended by the National Sports Association and approved by DYSD, to effect a coordinated and continuing program of training and development of the maximum potential of athletes cognizant of international performance standards.

The National Sports Association concerned shall be principally responsible in the recruitment, selection and raining of athletes to compose the national pool from whose ranks shall be drawn the national representatives in regional and international competitions, subject to the supervision of DYSD.

SECTION 3. Separability Clause.—If any provision of this Decree is declared unconstitutional, the same shall apply only to the provision and the remainder hereof remains valid.

SECTION 4. Repealing Clause.—All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations which are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 5. Effectivity.—This Decree shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the Year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

			(Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines
	By the President:
	(Sgd.) JUAN C. TUVERA
		Presidential Assistant