LINGAYEN – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today formally opened the 2006 Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) national games at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here.

The President arrived at about 10:30 a.m. and immediately proceeded to the grandstand, where she addressed some 4,000 athletes and athletic officials from the different regions of the country.

“I declare the 2006 PRISAA national games open,” the President said before a cheering crowd of 5,000 students and other spectators occupying the grandstand.

The athletic competition will be held until Feb. 11.

Dr. Gonzalo Duque, PRISAA national president, said today’s PRISAA opening is historic because it was the first time that it had a President to formally open the games.

“This is also the first time for Pangasinan to host the PRISAA national games since it began in 1935,” Duque said.

The President, who was met by Pangasinan Gov. Victor Agbayani and Mayor Jonas Castaneda at the helicopter landing site, was accompanied by cabinet officials led by Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Second district Rep. Amado Espino and third district Rep. Generoso Tulagan were also in the President’s entourage.

Philippine Olympic Committee chair Jose “Peping” Cojuangco was also in attendance.

Before declaring the PRISAA games open, Mrs. Arroyo also distributed checks to five public elementary schools in province as beneficiaries of the national government’s “high school vouchers program.”

Under the program, 50 students from each of the schools will be sent to private high schools using the vouchers worth P4,000 for each student.

The program was launched this year after the national government realized that students have been crowding public schools where students enjoy free education while many private high schools do not have enough students.

Clarifying that the government does not want private schools to be closing for lack of enrollees, the President said in her visit to this town last month that she launched the high school vouchers programs so that excess students in public schools can enroll in private schools.

She said that the Department of Education has found that the vouchers program is cheaper than building classroom for high schools, although she said the government will still continue to build additional classrooms for public schools.