Athletics directors of the 10 member schools of the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League are ready to wrap up things for the cancelled 33rd season of the league and looks forward to the 34th staging on January next year with the Beguet State University as host.
During a meeting Friday at the University of Baguio, the directors decided to conclude the unfinished 33rd season which the Cordillera Career Development College hosted and was cancelled when the city and the country was declared under lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020.
The league that include the University of Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, Saint Louis University, Baguio Central University, University of the Philippines – Baguio, Pines City College, Philippine Military Academy and Baguio College of Technology as well as the La Trinidad schools of BSU and CCDC hope to restart games on October although on a “minimal scale”, said UC athletic director Danilo Cong-o.
The UB – hosted meeting may consider a minimal event that will surely include basketball and volleyball.
“We are not sure which sports to include,” said Cong-o, who had his athletes graduate last Saturday with many of them unable to play in the BBEAL.
The meeting could be a copy of the 1996 meeting when the Baguio schools regrouped after the departure of the two Benguet schools shattering the old college league – the Baguio-Benguet College Athletic Association – and forming a new one, the Baguio Educational Athletic League.
That league included UC, UB, SLU, UP-B, PCC, BCU, PMA and Easter College.
In 2002, the Benguet schools rejoined thus the current name of BBEAL.
CCDC last hosted the event in 2019 which was truncated when the city and the country was declared under lockdown due to the pandemic.
The league now hopes to restart the game with CCDC as host and to be followed by neighbor BSU. CCDC, however, has cancelled its programs since the March 2020 lockdowns. The league also needs a new treasurer, the last was from PCC and has since resigned from his post due to the pandemic. Pigeon Lobien