Gwen to consult mayors on fate of Cebu athletes joining CVIRAA

Naga City’s Joan Alinsunod (right) and Joey Enot lead the lighting of the cauldron at the start of the CVIRAA Meet in 2017. /CDN FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Considering that major sporting events, such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, face the prospect of being canceled, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia questions the move of the Department of Education in Central Visayas to push through with its regional sports meet this March.

The Central Visayas Regional Athletics Association (CVIRAA) Meet is set on March 21 to 28, 2020, in Dumaguete City, despite the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) scare.

“These are not normal times. Why are they behaving as though these still are?” Garcia said.

Garcia will be meeting with the 44 town mayors under the Cebu Province division of the Department of Education this Friday, March 6, to consult them on whether the province will be sending representatives to the event.

“I will get the consensus of the mayors. Sila man gyud ana ang labihan ka-affected. Sila na ang dili makatulog inig ka gabii sa pagpadala aning mga estudyante. Ila mang responsibilidad na. Kung unsay mahitabo, kinsa may manubag? Sila man,” Garcia said.

(It is the mayors that are actually affected. It is them who could not sleep at night when they send these children because they are their responsibility. If anything happens, it’s them who will be held liable.)

“I will present this to the mayors and ask them whether or not they are willing  to take the risk of sending their children to Dumaguete [City]… Not only that, consider also the expense sa pagpadala ani nila (in sending them there],” the governor said.

Garcia said there is just so much risk as the student-athletes cross the sea in going to Negros Oriental. She added that the conditions, such as sanitation and crowded places, are other risks that the children will face in traveling to other places for the sporting meet.

“I cannot really fathom why they must insist right now when other countries are already suspending classes and the Olympics might even be suspended. Several sports, major sports events, have already been canceled and yet we must insist on the CVIRAA?” Garcia said.

Even before the scare on the COVID-19 broke early on January 2020, Garcia has made pronouncements against the transporting of students to other places for competitions.

The governor has maintained that education should focus on academics as it is where the real excellence is.

Garcia has also announced that the province will be funding the publishing of learning materials in the English language as the Local School Board, which she heads, passed a resolution late in 2019 mandating schools under the Cebu province division to use English as the main medium of instruction.

Garcia said DepEd Provincial Schools Superintended Dr. Marilyn Andales informed her that the mother tongue based-multilingual education, which is currently being implemented by DepEd will only be one subject starting the opening of the next school year this June 2020. /rcg