Organizers may hold PRISAA Regional Finals in March

Student delegates gathered at the oval of the University of Mindanao during the 2019 opening of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) National Finals in Davao City. | Mars G. Alison

CEBU CITY, Philippines – An official of the Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) in Central Visayas has clarified that the PRISAA Regional Finals is only postponed to a later date and not cancelled.

Bernard Ricablanca, deputy secretary general for PRISAA-7, said that “we are just moving the dates but the athletes’ credentials and entries must be submitted.”

PRISAA-7 officials, on Tuesday, February 5, 2020, announced the postponement of the PRISAA Regional Finals which was supposed to be held here in Cebu City this weekend, February 8 to 9, amidst the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) scare that has gripped the country.

Father Vicente L. Uy, SVD, who is also PRISAA-7 president, said they decided to postpone the event, probably in March, because the participants from Negros Oriental, especially those coming from Dumaguete City, will not be able to compete if this were held now.

“We discussed whether to postpone it or not because our participants from Negros Oriental, mostly from Dumaguete, they cannot join,” said Father Uy.

The Office of the Governor of Negros Oriental issued an executive order (EO) officially declaring the suspension of classes in all public schools, and in all levels, from February 5 to 7, 2020 as a precautionary measure to contain and mitigate the spread of the 2019-nCoV.

The EO further states that private schools can also suspend classes at their own discretion.

Father Uy, who is also the PRISAA national chairman, added that they decided that perhaps the postponement would be for the good of athletes coming from Bohol and Cebu as well, as they also have to put priority on everyone’s safety.

According to Father Uy, they are looking at March for the new schedule of the PRISAA Regional Finals should the situation pertaining to the 2019-nCoV start to improve.

Ricablanca urged coaches and athletes to continue with their trainings while they also wait for the new schedule of the PRISAA Regional Finals.

Some 200 high school and college athletes will come from Negros Oriental while another 300 will come from Bohol.

This would already be the second year that private schools in Dumaguete will be participating in the PRISAA meet after years of hiatus.

Athletes from Dumaguete will be coming from Foundation University, Asian College (formerly ACSAT), Colegio de Santa Catalina de Alejandria (COSCA)and St. Paul University Dumaguete (SPUD).

They will be competing in badminton, basketball, basketball 3×3, chess, football, volleyball, beach volleyball and sepak takraw. / dcb