The annual regional meet which will be held in Makato, Aklan was postponed by DepEd due to novel coronavirus (nCoV).
The Department of Education (DepEd-6) decided to postpone indefinitely the staging of the Western Visayas Regional Schools Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet 2020 in Aklan province.
The move aims to protect student-athletes from the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Originally, the annual regional meet is set on Feb. 25-22 at the Calngcang Sports Complex in Makato town.
DepEd-6 information officer Dr. Lea Belleza confirmed the postponement of the WVRAA Meet after a meeting with the province’s local government unit (LGU) and the Provincial Health Office.
“The decision is a preventative measure against the scare from nCoV. We always want the safety of our participants that’s why we postponed the scheduled sports games,” she added.
The province of Antique earlier announced that it will not send student-athletes to the regional meet.
“The PDRRMC has decided to disallow our athletes to go to Aklan for the annual WVRAA competitions because of the emerging threat of the novel coronavirus,” said Governor Rhodora Cadiao.
She said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) arrived with the decision to give primordial importance to the health of the athletes.
“We were informed that the athletes when they return to Antique would be put under quarantine by the Department of Health (DOH) so we decided not to send them to WVRAA,” she said.
Department of Education-Antique District Superintendent Felisa Beriong expressed support to the decision of the PDRRMC.
“When it comes to the protection of the health of the students then it is no longer being questioned,” she said.
The students from the province are ready for the WVRAA and supposed to go there just days before the competition.
To recall, there were 11 Chinese tourists from the Hubei province of China who were quarantined at the Aklan training center since January 21. The DepEd will also call for a meeting on Feb. 6. IMT
