CARAA reset to March 23-27 in Baguio City

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAAA) board initially decided to tentatively schedule the regional sports competition originally scheduled on Feb. 16-21 to March 23-27 in playing venues in this tourism resort.

However, the agreed date still remains tentative pending latest advise that will be issued by health experts on Covid-19 scare which affected crowd-drawing events in the city in February.

The decision of the CARAA board to reset the regional sports competition is in adherence to pronouncement of Education Secretary Leonor Briones through Department of Education Memorandum No. 15, series of 2020 wherein it provided that all regional and national events scheduled for this month will be suspended and postponed, especially events that allow congregation of huge number of learners and personnel such as regional sports events and the National Schools Press Conference among others.

Earlier, the local government announced the postponement of major crowd drawing events in the city, particularly the grand opening parade of the Panagbenga or the Baguio flower festival, a number of festivities and the CARAA following the NCOVI scare that prevailed in the country over the past several weeks.

Baguio City was chosen as the host of this year’s CARAA regional sports competition after the local government signified its intention to host the same when no other local governments bid for hosting of the annual sports competition due to reported budgetary constraints.

From 2015 to 2017, Baguio City served as host of regional sports competitions before Abra took over the hosting in 2018 and Apayao had its turn to host the sports competition last year.

In 2021 and 2022, the local government will not host the CARAA regional sports competition as the city will be using its funds to bankroll the implementation of its priority development projects to establish a better Baguio after 3 years.

The CARAA serves as a venue where deserving athletes from the different provinces involved in various sports disciplines will be selected to serve as the region’s representatives to such fields of sports in the annual conduct of the Palarong Pambansa which is being held in the different parts of the country annually.

The Palarong Pambansa also serves as a venue from which deserving athletes from various sports disciplines will be chosen to represent the country in prestigious inter-regional and international sports competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Games and the Olympics.

The CARAA board stated that it will provide the different delegations from the provinces  and cities on the latest decision on the final schedule of the regional sports competition although efforts are being done to reset the same prior to the conduct of the Palarong Pambansa by May this year to allow the athletes and sports officials to have the needed time to prepare for tougher competition.