It’s a go for the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet later this month despite more heavy equipment rolling into the main venue, the Baguio athletic bowl, where additional works within the seven-hectare sports facility will start soon.
The Department of Education-CAR made the announcement after holding a coordination meeting recently to map out the preparations and instructions of the activity.
The coordination meeting called on and presided over by Regional Director Estela Cariño also oriented “all the committees on their roles during the conduct of the sports activities and to ensure that policies related to its conduct are being met.”
It was also reiterated during said meeting that despite the pandemic where CARAA has been put on hold, “planning for these sports activities was always carried out.”
In a release, the regional agency said, “With the remaining days of preparation, DepEd-CAR sees to ensure that the showcasing of skills, athleticism, and sportsmanship are prioritized.”
Baguio was supposed to host the 2020 CARAA but was cancelled when the entire Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine on March 17, 2020.
Last year, the city has implemented major renovation within the seven-hectare sports complex, including the PHP 380-million youth convergence sports complex, the PHP 105-million tennis court, the PHP 30-million athletes’ quarters and now the PHP 10-million gate and façade that will include the demolition of the small grandstand or bandstand adjacent to the ongoing tennis court construction.
It was also during the pandemic that the PHP 45-million big grandstand extension aside from the lighting installations were made.
DepEd-CAR sports officials say that Benguet will help host the event, although its own sports complex at Wangal in La Trinidad has not been turned over to the province.
Last Thursday, Cariño issued Regional Memorandum No. 186, S. 2023 informing all DepEd-CAR officials that the CARAA parade for all delegates will be conducted on April 29 at 7 a.m. and not on April 28 as earlier published.
The conduct of district and division meets as well as regional meets and eventually the Palarong Pambansa resumed after face-to-face classes were allowed last year.
DepEd, earlier this year, issued Memorandum No. 5 mandating the conduct of division meets from February 6 to 10, and the regional meets from April 24 to 28.
Meanwhile, coaches of team events are still appealing for the conduct of team events that have been cancelled by the DepEd-CAR which only allowed the staging of individual events. Pigeon Lobien
