BY NICK GIONGCO
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) no longer has any say in the operations of key facilities inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Center (RMSC) being used to shelter COVID-19 patients.
Now that the Department of Health (DoH) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are now in charge of running two venues, the PSC has distanced itself from getting involved.
“It just so happens that the venues are PSC facilities but other than that, we at the PSC doesn’t have any participation in the operations,” said PSC national training director Marc Velasco.
“PSC employees are not allowed to even enter and the nearest we can go to is the gate (of the RMSC),” said Velasco, who was assigned by PSC chairman Butch Ramirez as the point man over at the RMSC should a need arises.
Ramirez, meanwhile, is staying put at the Philsports in Pasig, whose 12,000-capacity arena, is likewise on standby in case the number of coronavirus cases soar in the coming weeks.
Over at the RMSC, two newly-upgraded venues ‒ the Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS) and Rizal Coliseum ‒ have been spruced up to shelter patients.
In fact, the NAS already has several patients being treated shortly after its completion while the nearby coliseum, about 200 meters away, is also on standby to house patients once its 110-bed neighbor runs out of space.
Last week, the Bases Conversion Development Authority, sent teams to transform the NAS and Rizal Coliseum into makeshift hospitals with the help of the DoH, AFP and the Department of Public Works.
Velasco said that in the event a national athletes falls sick, he or she has to coordinate with the LGU of residency to determine what steps to take.
“They might think that since the RMSC has been used as facilities, they can go here and get treated,” said Velasco.
“That’s not the case and we have to observe protocol and follow the algorithm,” he said.
Velasco added that the PSC doesn’t have a say on these matters or can dictate (to authorities) that an athlete be admitted at the RMSC venues the moment he or she gets sick.
