The Department of Education-Region 6 (DepEd-6) is adopting its own sports manual of operations for the first time in the 2024 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet that kicked off Thursday, May 2, and will run until May 7.
The sports manual was launched two days ahead of the opening of the regional amateur games at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City Thursday afternoon that was joined by close to 5,700 delegates.
This year’s WVRAA is hosted by Negros Occidental province along with the highly-urbanized Bacolod City.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, in his speech at the opening rites, said “this year’s theme, ‘2024 WVRAA Meet: Nurturing Champions for the World’, is particularly relevant as we strive to cultivate an environment where our young athletes can surpass their limitations and aspire to compete on larger stages in the future”.
Hernani Escullar Jr., DepEd-6 public information officer, said the sports manual was conceptualized by the leadership of Regional Director Ramir Uytico after the 2023 Palarong Pambansa.
“With the sports manual, we are guided on how to conduct sports activities from the regional down to the school level. Here, we also put emphasis on child protection,” Escullar said.
In a statement, DepEd-6 said the sports manual “serves as a guiding light for athletes, coaches, administrators and all stakeholders involved in the vibrant sports landscape of Western Visayas”.
“It encapsulates the best practices, protocols, and standards tailored to the context of the region,” it added.
Iloilo City Schools Division Superintendent Ma. Luz de los Reyes said in having the sports manual, the schools need not wait for memorandums and other issuances regarding the sports events in Western Visayas.
“It’s a user-friendly manual for all of us here in DepEd-Region 6,” she added.
This year’s WVRAA Meet is participated in by contingents from the provinces of Negros Occidental, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo.
A total of 5,695 delegates, among them 2,972 athletes, 455 coaches, 104 assistant coaches, 159 chaperones and 644 technical officials, are taking part in the six-day regional meet.
The rest of the delegation includes other participants, trainers and DepEd-6 personnel.
To ensure the safety of the athletes, Escullar said outdoor games have been adjusted to be held earlier from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. onwards.
“We don’t want to compromise the safety of our athletes. Between those hours when there is high heat index, there are no outdoor games,” he added.
Mid-day competitions will be held only for indoor games and other sports events with well-ventilated venues.
Athletes in both elementary and secondary divisions will see action in basketball girls and boys (5×5), basketball (3×3), volleyball, softball, baseball, football, futsal, speak takraw, swimming, athletics, tennis, table tennis, badminton, archery, boxing, taekwondo, billiards, wrestling, wushu, arnis, pencak silat, dancesport, gymnastics, chess and paragames.*PNA