The Philippine Military Academy alumni homecoming in Baguio City has been moved from Feb. 14 to 15 to Feb. 25 due to the novel coronavirus.
PMA Alumni Association Inc. chairman Cavalier Rufo de Veyra said the decision to postpone the activity is in deference to health and public safety concerns regarding nCoV.
“Alumni classes, especially Jubilarians, caught in this late-breaking development, are advised to exercise their best judgment on how to proceed with their individual class events in sync with the new date,” De Veyra said.
According to the PMAAAI head, the decision to make the two-day event into one day was reached with the help of Baguio City Mayor and fellow Cavalier Benjamin Magalong as well as PMA superintendent, Vice Admiral Allan Cusi.
De Veyra said Magalong has coordinated with the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Baguio to fix the schedules of Cavalier-members who have prior reservations. Members who have prior reservations were advised to call their respective hotels and request for a rebooking.
De Veyra had earlier said that there were no compelling reasons to change the date of the homecoming even as Magalong earlier cancelled the opening parade of the Panagbenga Festival on Feb. 1.
He argued that the homecoming is a low-density and low-intensity activity compared to Panagbenga.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had urged the PMA alumni board to move the date of the homecoming to a more auspicious date as a precaution on the possible spread of the deadly virus. (Martin Sadongdong)