POSTPONED. Antique athletes are all set for the regional sports meet but they have to wait for the new schedule following its postponement the second time as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus disease 2019. The athletes were supposed to leave for the host province Aklan this weekend. (Photo courtesy of PIO Antique)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Education (DepEd) Antique Division said Tuesday the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet has been postponed a second time and athletes from the province have to wait for the new schedule.
DepEd-Antique Superintendent Felisa Beriong said in an interview Tuesday that the regional office has decided to postpone the WVRAA as a precautionary measure for the athletes after President Rodrigo Duterte's issuance of Proclamation 0922 declaring a state of public health emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“The WVRAA is again postponed,” Beriong said, adding the DepEd 6 (Western Visayas) has yet to set a new schedule for the WVRAA 2020 that will be held at the Calangcang Sports Complex in Makato, Aklan province.
Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao said she is concerned about the budget for the 500-athlete team supposedly to depart this weekend for Aklan.
The WVRAA, which was originally scheduled last February 15-22, had been reset to March 21-28 due to Covid-19.
Cadiao said with the new postponement, the budget might no longer be enough for the event.
“Our athletes continue to practice in preparation for the WVRAA and so their budget might not be enough already,” she said.
Antique’s provincial government has initially allocated PHP5 million for the WVRAA that would include the athlete’s uniform, training allowances, and other expenses.
Cadiao instructed Beriong to find out if their budget for the WVRAA is still enough and make a request through the provincial school board of their needed additional budget.
“I instructed Superintendent Beriong to request for additional financial assistance so that the provincial school board could tackle it during their meeting,” she said.
Cadiao said she is giving her all-out support to the Antique delegation to the WVRAA to inspire the athletes to excel in their sporting events.
Antique ranked fifth in the overall medal tally in the WVRAA in 2019. (PNA)
