抄録
The main purpose of this article is to identify Philippine government policies for disability sports and for people with a disability in general, in order to deepen understanding of the environment in the Philippines for disability sports.
First, with respect to the situation generally for people with a disability in the Philippines, although a legal framework has been put in place starting with the adoption in 1992 of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons 〈revised in 2007〉, the execution of laws cannot be described as adequate. In terms of education and social participation, differences can be seen between urban and non-urban areas.
Second, the Philippines Sports Commission, established under President Aquino, is responsible for the country's policies on sports for its citizens generally. President Ramos launched "sports for all", a national policy for the general public that was to "make accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, talent, and capabilities, a program of physical fitness". However, because the government did not allocate enough funds to the Commission, performance at international sporting competitions has languished as the result of a lack of both an integrated program to promote sporting activities and of training facilities.
Major efforts aimed at developing disability sports have only just begun. Disability sports were organized at a national level only in the late 1990s, and in 2015, in order to improve international competitiveness, a policy was written into law to provide support for the training of athletes. There is expectation that support from China, Russia and South Korea among other sources will further the promotion of sport in general in the Philippines, and Japan should also actively think of ways to provide support. To date, the Japan International Cooperation Agency 〈JICA〉 has carried out projects in the Philippines focusing on development for people with a disability, such as the "Creation of 'Barrier-Free' Environments for People with a Disability in Rural Areas 〈2008-2012〉". One of the results of the project was to organize groups led by people with disabilities in villages and in local governments, and this experience can be built on to help spread disability sports in the country at a grassroots level, one way in which Japan can provide support.
