MANILA, Philippines – A number of sporting events are set to resume next week if and when the modified enhanced community quarantine in the National Capital Region and other areas is downgraded to modified general CQ or GCQ starting next Monday.
Metro Manila, along with Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, has been placed under MECQ since May 16 as it remained “high-risk” for COVID-19 transmission. But the Metro Manila Council, which consists of 17 cities in the NCR, is leaning toward recommending the change to MGCQ or GCQ to the Inter-Agency Task Force before the end of the third lockdown extension on May 31.
The MMC will have an urgent meeting Wednesday.
Sporting events will be allowed to resume although venues may operate at only 50% capacity in line with physical distancing measure.
“Mass gatherings such as, but not limited to, movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies and non-essential work gatherings shall be allowed provided that participants shall be limited to 50-percent of the venue or seating capacity,” according to IATF’s latest guidelines.
Indoor and outdoor noncontact sports and other forms of exercise like walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, equestrian and skateboarding will be allowed. Wearing of facemasks and social distancing will still be implemented.
However, contact sports like basketball and martial arts will remain shelved, while gyms will also be allowed to operate but limited to basic operations.
Meanwhile, golf resumed at Luisita in Tarlac last Sunday along with Riviera in Cavite, Sun Valley in Antipolo and Mt. Malarayat and Summit Point, both in Lipa City, Batangas over the weekend following the easing up of quarantine restrictions.
Golf clubs in Metro Manila, Laguna, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija gear up for their respective reopening in anticipation of the lifting of the MECQ beginning June 1, including Wack Wack, Villamor, Philippine Navy, Camp Aguinaldo, Club Intramuros and Veterans in the NCR.
The IATF is also expected to issue the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) on the sport in the next few days, following some confusion last week that prompted the golfing seniors to protest over age discrimination.