Varsity training restart awaits IATF go-signal

MANILA, Philippines — A letter of intent to restart training for varsity athletes has been submitted by the UAAP to CHED which is now awaiting a ruling from IATF on the nationwide application of the alert level system before formalizing a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) to allow individual non-contact court workouts with the LGUs giving the final go-signal for the roll-out.

CHED project lead for sports development and management Ana Yango said the other day the crafting of the JMC began late last year and after due public consultation, was submitted to DOH for review last February.  It took several months before DOH responded as the draft went through several revisions with guidelines for different quarantine conditions.  The IATF-appointed Technical Working Group (TWG) made up of CHED, DOH and PSC representatives is now ready to inspect the campuses of UAAP schools in determining compliance with safety and health engineering standards.

“Once the JMC is signed, we can begin to conduct inspections,” said Yango.  “If there is no declaration of a nationwide application of alert levels, a second option is to request IATF clearance to resume varsity training at least in NCR.”  The recommendation is to limit participation of athletes to 50 percent capacity of the training facility in Alert Level Two (low risk) or 25 percent in Alert Level Three (moderate risk).  Alert Level One (new normal) will allow 100 percent training but with no contact.

Yango said it’s a step-by-step process.  “Approval for individual training without contact is the first step,” she explained.  “Once it’s approved and we carefully monitor how the schools are doing, then the next step is to request for contact training or scrimmages.  The third step is to allow competition.”  She said inspecting the school facilities could take only a week.  “We’ll be monitoring closely,” continued Yango.  “There are requirements like a dedicated entrance for athletes into the gym, full vaccination, re-engineered facilities to keep within health and safety standards.  We are informed that some schools have transformed classrooms into dorms so we’ll look into that.  We will limit the capacity of those staying in dorms depending on alert levels.”

Yango, a former PSC consultant who was detailed to DepEd for the Palarong Pambansa and later moved to CHED, said if approvals are obtained and the JMC is signed, individual training may start as early as two weeks from now.  “But it will also depend on how quickly the schools are able to comply with our safety and health standards,” she said.  The UAAP intends to launch its next season in February.  To keep within the timetable, varsity athletes should be back in training by the first week of November.

GAB chairman Baham Mitra and Atty. Migs Nograles of the PBA (Pwersa Ng Bayaning Atleta) Party List were set to meet Yango yesterday to brainstorm on measures to fast-track the return of sports. Mitra said a letter to IATF will be sent to request for a third revision of the JAO (Joint Administrative Order) on the resumption of pro sports training and competition under various alert levels.