It will be a different approach in the staging of Palarong Pambansa.
This, after the Department of Education (DepEd) plans to hold the biggest sporting events virtually.
With the country still under coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, DepEd director Joel Erestain said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that the agency is still studying the possible staging of the country’s largest elementary and secondary sports event.
Erestain also shared that the event will not be the usual Palaro in the previous years “Hindi Siya ‘yung full spectrum of the sporting events of the Palaro. But kung ano ‘yung pupwedeng ma-video, like ‘yung mga forms, ganyan,” he added.
The education department has already identified some sports that may be held in a virtual platform but it is still set for Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ approval.
Aside from having a limited number of sports, there is a possibility that only secondary school students-athletes can compete in the virtual Palaro.
“Sa nakikita po namin ngayon, kung iho-hold nga ang virtual, baka 15-18 (year olds) lang din ang makakasali,” he added. “Ang talagang primordial concern natin will always be the safety of our children, especially on the part of Palarong Pambansa and our student-athletes.”
“Pero nakikita natin, ‘pagka medyo nagi-ease up naman ‘yung situation, so baka pwede tayong magdagdag ng sports or sporting events, or pati siguro ng mga batang pwedeng lumahok,” he stated.
The 2020 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City was canceled last year in a bid to avoid the spread of the viral disease among student-athletes, teachers and parents.IMT
