Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) was organized on February 17, 1953 through the initiative of Dr. Manuel Carreon, Director of the Bureau of Private Schools, who encouraged the private schools all over the country to join the PRISAA for the purpose of promoting sports and academic competitions. The first PRISAA Meet was held on March 8-10, 1953 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, in front of Harrison Park in Malate, Manila. The events participated in by the different regions include basketball, chess, cycling, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, softball, swimming, table tennis, track-and-field, and volleyball. The sports conducted were those officially recognized by the Southeast Asian Games and the Olympic Federation.
Starting 1956, PRISAA Annual Meets were held in the different cities and provinces throughout the country. The fifth PRISAA Annual Meet was held on February 15-21, 1959 in Naga City, Camarines Norte. This was hosted by University of Nueva Caceres and spearheaded by Dr. Dolores H. Sison, First Woman President of the PRISAA Board of Governors. The last PRISAA Annual Meet was held in 1972 at the PAGLAUM Sports Complex in Bacolod City.
Starting 1973, PRISAA Annual Meets were suspended to experiment on the integration of sports competitions for public and private schools, including the outof- school youth.
PRISAA became the source of inspiration and pride among the students, faculty and the viewing public. PRISAA developed several outstanding athletes who represented our country in international competitions. Among them were Josephine dela Viña of Cebu, a noted shot put and discus throw athlete, Mona Sulaiman of Mindanao, a renowned sprinter, and Rogelio Onofre of Pangasinan, a prolific sprinter.
On July 2, 1990, sports leaders representing the fourteen (14) regions of the country were invited to attend an organizational meeting at the Centro Escolar University (CEU) to revive PRISAA. This was sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) spearheaded by Chairman Cecilio G. Hechanova and assisted by Commissioner Anthony R. Nicanor. On the same occasion, the election of National PRISAA Officers for school year 1990-1991 was also held wherein Dr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles was elected National President. Shortly thereafter, PRISAA was organized in the different cities, provinces and regions of the country. Election of PRISAA Regional Presidents took place in August and September of 1990. On September 13, 1990, DECS Order No. 104 was issued by then Education Secretary Isidro D. Cariño directing all DECS Regional Directors and heads of private schools, colleges and universities to organize and revive PRISAA in their respective areas.
Since then, PRISAA provincial/city and regional meets were held all over the country to determine the regional champions who will compete in the PRISAA Annual National Games.
The PRISAA Annual National Games continuous conduct, however, posed a great challenge to the Association due to lack of funding and financial support. In the year 2000, the PRISAA National Board of Trustees approved a new scheme for the continuous conduct of PRISAA’s competitions, that is, PRISAA accreditation is by school membership. The National Board, also approved that only PRISAA duly accredited member-schools can participate in PRISAA competitions and can collect PRISAA fees from students. PRISAA fees collected from students must be used exclusively for PRISAA approved programs, activities, and competitions. Starting school year 2000-01, PRISAA competitions took place in the different levels; provincial/city meets, regional meets, area meets, and eventually the national games.
In the school year 2003-04, the conduct of PRISAA Annual National Games posed, once again, a new challenge to the Association due to the call of the then CHED Chairman, Dr. Rolando R. Dizon, FSC, to unify the tertiary sports competitions by and between CHED, PRISAA and SCUAA in “Building a Strong Republic”. During the CHED 2004 National Palaro held on April 23-28, 2004 in Bacolod City, a “Pledge of Unity in Tertiary Sports” was signed by and between the then CHED Chairman, PRISAA National Chairman, and PASUC President with the then PSC Chairman as the oath administering officer. Responding to the call of unity in tertiary sports as a commitment in realizing the government objective of building a strong republic, the PRISAA National 3
Board of Trustees during the Strategic Planning Meeting held on June 18-20, 2004 in Clarkfield, Pampanga forged a covenant of cooperation for the continuous conduct of PRISAA Annual Competitions with or without government support and intervention, and shall commit to participate in the CHED Annual National Palaro and DEPED Palarong Pambansa.
Starting school year 2004-05, PRISAA competitions took place in the different levels; provincial/city meets, regional meets and eventually the national games. The PRISAA 2010 National Games, on the other hand, was also suspended in favor of CHED 2010 National Games held on February 22-28, 2010 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Malate, Manila. This was co-sponsored by CHED and PSC in cooperation with PRISAA, SCUAA and LCUAA. The CHED National Games was in response to the quest of the then CHED Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Y. Angeles, to integrate the conduct of sports, academic and cultural competitions among Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) all over the country, both public and private. Starting school year 2010-11, PRISAA continued the conduct of its annual competitions in the different levels; provincial/city meets, regional meets and eventually the national games.
The PRISAA National Board of Trustees, during the Strategic Planning Meeting held on May 28-29, 2013 in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte, unanimously approved the registration of PRISAA as PRISAA Sports Foundation, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). PRISAA Sports Foundation, Inc. was registered as a Non-Stock, Not Profit Sports Association with SEC on February 4, 2014 under SEC Registration No. CN201430037 and with BIR on February 18, 2014 under BIR Registration No. OCN 4RC0000777290 and Tax Identification Number (TIN) 447-731-692-000. Since then, PRISAA operates as a Non-Stock, Non-Profit Sports Association including all its subsidiaries or Accredited Regional Associations. The PRISAA National Board of Trustees, during a series of Strategic Planning Meeting held on May 22-23, 2015 in Angeles City, June 18-20, 2015 in Koronadal City, and August 1, 2015 in Quezon City crafted and approved the PRISAA Five-Year Strategic Plan, AY 2015-16 to 2019-20.
PRISAA, twenty five (25) years after its revival in July 1990, will continuously and vigorously pursued its commitment of harnessing the potentials of memberschools’ student-athletes, trainers, coaches, sports directors, physical education instructors, technical officials, and other stakeholders for excellence in sports to build a competitive and stronger republic. PRISAA, as it now stands, boasts to be the largest sports association in the Philippines comprising of no less than four hundred (400) member-schools all over the sixteen (16) regions of the country, and the only sports association conducting nationwide annual sports competitions among private education institutions in both secondary and tertiary levels.