PhilSPADA

PHILSPADA-NPC Philippines
250px PhilSPADA-NPC Philippines logo
Abbreviation	PHILSPADA-NPC PHILIPPINES
Formation	1996
Type	National Paralympic Committee, Philippines
Headquarters	Rm.101 Building E. Philsports Complex Meralco Ave., Pasig City 1600
Location	Metro Manila, Philippines
President	Luis Jose Arellano
Affiliations	IPC, APC, APSF, POC, PSC
Website	philippineparalympic.com

The Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled—National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (PhilSPADA-NPC Philippines), is the national sports association for people with disabilities tasked to spearhead all activities related to sports and physical fitness of Filipino persons with disabilities. It is affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee^[1] In the Philippines, Philspada-NPC Philippines is recognized by and receives funding support from the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee to send qualified disabled athletes to compete in local and international competitions, up to the Paralympic level.

On August 6, 2008, Philspada-NPC Philippines was named Disabled Group of the Year by the Apolinario Mabini Awards Committee. Philspada-NPC Phils. President Michael Barredo, former PSC commissioner, accepted the award from President Gloria Arroyo in Malacañang^[2][3].

Objectives

To serve as a national sports association for all persons with disabilities (PWDs) pursuant to the national policy of “Sports for ALL”

To increase participation in sports by all PWDs in seventeen (17) regions of the country to promote:

Health Universal values Social reform Equity Access

Self-development Self-discipline Self-reliance Teamwork Quality of Life

To enhance excellence in sports performance of PWDs in national/international competitions for honor/glory of the country through:

Education Training Therapy

Clinics Seminars Research

Vision

A society where PWDs actively participate in sustainable sports activities leading to their optimal well-being and excellence in sports with organizations that are effective, dynamic and synergistic nurtured by an environment that is friendly, generating and barrier – free.

Mission

To create a comprehensive nationwide sports development program that must include:

• Pooling together of specialized sports training experts;
• Establishing / Maintaining support systems;
• Setting-up of linkages with sports groups locally and internationally;
• Catalyzing rehabilitation of PWDs through sports events and activities at all levels thereby spawn a breed of Filipinos with disabilities who can excel in world class sports competitions.

Disability categories

Athletes who participate in Paralympic sport are grouped into six major categories, based on their type of disability:

• Amputee: Persons with a partial or total amputation of at least one limb.

• Cerebral palsy: Persons who have a non-progressive neurological disorder resulting from cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, or stroke, or similar disabilities affecting muscle control, balance or coordination.

• Intellectual disability: Persons who have a significant impairment in intellectual functioning with associated limitations in adaptive behaviour. (This category of is currently suspended from international competitions governed by the IPC.)

• Les autres: From the French for the others, this includes persons with a mobility impairment or other loss of physical function that does not fall strictly into one of the other five categories. Participants include those with dwarfism, multiple sclerosis or other disabilities.

• Visually impaired: Persons who have a non-correctable vision impairment ranging from partially sighted to total blindness.

• Wheelchair: Persons with a disability that requires them to compete using a wheelchair. This includes most athletes with spinal cord injuries as well as other athletes who require wheelchairs, including some lower limb amputees, persons with polio, and other disabilities.

Milestones

The SKUD 18 - a highly technical, high performance keelboat. Photo: Jackie Kay, Sailability World

• September 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games - the first Philippine SKUD 18 Paralympic Sailing Team competes in Qingdao, China. Two new Filipino Paralympians join Adeline Dumapong in Beijing.
• January 2008 4th ASEAN Para Games Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. - Athletes with cerebral palsy competed in boccia for the first time.
  • The Philippine Shooting Team (with Philippine National Shooting Association support) competed in shooting for the first time, in the Air Rifle and Air Pistol events. Cherrie Pinpin won the bronze in the Air Rifle Standing event while Ramon Ramirez placed 4th in the Men's Air Pistol event..
• November 2006 FESPIC Games, Malaysia - the first disabled Sailing Team competes on the Access Liberty event in Port Dickson, Malaysia. Alson Tumbagahan won the Men's Silver, Access Liberty event. The Philippine Liberty team placed 3rd overall.^[4]
• 2000 Sydney Paralympics - Adeline Dumapong lifted 110 kilograms^[5] to win the bronze in the women's 82.5 kilogram division. Adeline Dumapong became the Philippines first Paralympic medalist.

Sports

Athletics Powerlifting Judo Chess Target Sports Archery Fencing Target Shooting Water Sports Sailing Swimming

Ball Sports Badminton Boccia Bowling Goalball Table tennis Wheelchair Basketball Wheelchair Tennis Wheelchair Volleyball

Upcoming Sports Competitions

2009

• the 5th ASEAN Para Games, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - selection trials now ongoing.

2010

• 2010 Asian Para Games, Guangzhou, China

2012

• 2012 London Paralympic Games

Previous Local and International Events

The Philippines sends qualified athletes with disabilities to the Asian regional and international games, namely:

• The ASEAN Para Games, the “parallel” sports event for the disabled athletes after every Southeast Asian Games, patterned after the Paralympic Games and the FESPIC Games.
  • 4th ASEAN Para Games, Thailand
  • 3rd ASEAN ParaGames, Philippines

• The FESPIC Games or the Far East and South Pacific Games for the persons with disability, was the biggest multi-sports games in Asia and South Pacific region. The FESPIC Games which started in 1975 was held nine times and bowed out a success^[6] in December 2006, at the conclusion of the 9th FESPIC Games^[7] in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Games re-emerges as the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China. The inaugural Asian Para Games, the parallel event for athletes with physical disabilities, is a multi-sport event held every four years after every Asian Games.
  • 9th FESPIC Games^[8], Malaysia
  • 8th FESPIC Games^[9], Korea

• The Paralympic Games, a multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities, includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The Paralympic Games is sometimes confused with Special Olympics, which are only for the people with intellectual disabilities.
  
  "Paralympic" derives from the Greek “para” (“beside” or “alongside”) and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games. No relation with paralysis or paraplegia is intended, however, the word Pralympic was originally a portmanteau combining ‘paraplegic’ and ‘Olympic’.
  Philspada athletes have competed in these Games:
  • 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, China
  • 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, Greece
  • 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games, Australia

See also

• the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
• 3rd ASEAN ParaGames
• National Council on Disability Affairs (Philippines)
• Philippine Olympic Committee
• PhilSports Complex
• Rizal Memorial Sports Complex

References

1. ^ International Paralympic Committee
2. ^ Philspada-NPC named disabled group of the year
3. ^ PFRD bares 2008 Mabini Awardees
4. ^ FESPIC Games Regatta Completed
5. ^ Adeline Dumapong's profile on paralympic.org
6. ^ Closure of FESPIC Federation
7. ^ 9th Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC) Games
8. ^ What is FESPIC Games?
9. ^ Dumapong wins silver in Busan FESPIC

External links

• PhilSPADA official website
• Carbonel sets record in Para Games
• 4th Asean Para Games medalists to receive cash incentives
• RIZAL MEMORIAL: ASEAN PARA GAMES, 2 MORE DAYS TO GO...