FAIR PLAY. Updating the Palaro
Igot a copy of the planned changes in the Palarong Pambansa for next year and I can't help but feel optimistic that finally, the Department of Education is fine-tuning the event.
Perhaps the biggest change DepEd wants is the identification of the host, which is usually done in the school year of the Palaro. The MOA, sometimes, is signed just six months before the hosting of the event and that, I believe, is too short a time.
Now, DepEd wants hosts to be identified two years in advance, giving them ample time to prepare for the hosting of the meet. Also, a two-year preparation period allows future hosts the chance to observe the conduct of the Palaro before it gets to host the event. And that's perfect, right? DepEd also wants to identify future hosts early, so it might do away with that whole LuzViMin rotational hosting, something I believe that may no longer be advisable to do so.
What if there's an able and interested host in the Visayas but DepEd won't choose it because it's Mindanao's turn?
Another interesting aspect is to hold official sight-seeing tours to help the hosts' tourism industry. Let's face it, teachers and officials do this every year, go off on sight-seeing tours to the detriment of the kids, making it part of the official calendar of events may discourage the practice of some who are busier plotting their travels than their wards' practices.
Look what happened in Antique. Some coaches couldn't get a hold of an official because "he was off somewhere." (Na-ay gi adtu-an.)
That "somewhere" turned out to be Boracay and they did it in the middle of the Palaro, nice no?
Another change DepEd wants is the tournament format. DepEd recognizes that some teams do get eliminated early, after just a game or two, yet they are made to stay for the whole durating, sometimes a week or two. So, DepEd wants a format where the eliminated teams get to play among themselves, then from that eliminated teams a selection will be made which will face the champion.
Though the intent is good, I think that might be the wrong way to go about it. After the finals, I don't think the champion, or even the runner-up, would be interested in facing the "All-Star team" from the losing squads.
What DepEd could do is adopt the rugby practice of holding a competition (and awarding the top three) for the eliminated teams. Say, if you have 16 teams, and eight advance to the quarterfinals, DepEd can hold a similar quarterfinal, semifinal and final for the other eight, and also, you can give them medals plus corresponding points if needed. That way, the kids' months of practices won't go to naught by having just to play a game or two.
Whatever DepEd decides to adopt, I hope the coaches would embrace it. Holding the Palaro as is, is simply not an option. It's time for some changes.
HE SAID IT. "In fairness, ni-asenso na ang officiating sa Palaro football." —Cviraa football coach.