BY WAYLON GALVEZ
With the rise of individuals affected by the Novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 in the country, the NCAA management is mulling the cancellation of the remaining schedule of Season 95 for the safety and welfare of everybody.
In a meeting Monday or just after President Duterte put the entire country under a state of public health emergency due to the virus outbreak, the NCAA Management Committee (MANCOM) agreed not to push through with the resumption of its games on March 16 as cases of the dreaded Covid-19 went up over the weekend through local transmission in Metro Manila.
The final decision, however, will come from Policy Board which is composed of owners and presidents of 10 participating schools.
The board is expected to meet next week.
According to MANCON chairman Peter Cayco of season host Arellano University, they consulted all concerned agencies, including the health department, before they came up with a decision.
“Due to the declaration of the Department of Health of Red Alert Sub-Level 1, and guidance issued by the Department of Education that concerns gatherings or out of school activities, all NCAA activities are hereby suspended until further notice,” said Cayco.
“The action of the NCAA is for the safety and welfare of the students, the athletes, the fans and the officials,” added Cayco after the MANCON meeting held Monday at the Aloha Hotel in Manila.
“They’ll discuss the possibility of postponing the games, or cancelling all together all games,” said Cayco.
Also at the meeting are MANCOM members Fr. Vic Calvo of Letran, Paul Supan of JRU, Dax Castellano of St. Benilde, Frank Gusi of Perpetual Help, Melchor Divina of Mapua, Hercules Callanta of Lyceum and Estefanio Boquiron Jr. of Emilio Aguinaldo College.
Unable to attend the meeting were Fr. Glynn Ortega of San Sebastian College and Mari Lacson of San Beda University, but were represented by their respective junior MANCOM officials.
Last week, the league’s Policy Board approved in a unanimous decision the MANCOM proposal to resume the games in the remaining sports of the NCAA on March 16.
