FIRST CHALLENGE: BEATING OMPONG
Cebu Province delegation arrives in Baguio City for Batang Pinoy; Cebu City team defers trip to Baguio, to stay in Manila while storm hits Luzon
The Cebu Province delegation has touched down in Baguio City early morning yesterday for the Batang Pinoy National Championships two days before Typhoon “Ompong” will make a landfall in Northern Luzon.
Cebu Provincial Sports Commission (CPSC) executive director Atty. Ramil Abing told SunStar Cebu that they have arrived in Baguio at 5 a.m. after traveling by plane to Manila and by bus from Manila to Baguio.
“Our athletes have already registered, they can still practice before the games,” said Abing. “It’s not raining here but the weather is cold.”
Due to Typhoon Ompong the opening ceremony on Sept. 15 was cancelled but the games will start on Monday.
“As a precautionary measure to ensure safety of all the participants from Typhoon Ompong, the joint organizing committee is canceling the opening ceremony. The competition will start on Sept. 17 and shall continue until the grand closing ceremony on Sept. 22,” the Philippine Sports Commission said in a statement.
On the other hand, the Cebu City delegation arrived in Manila on Wednesday but decided to postpone its travel to Baguio City. The team is staying at the Philippine Sports Arena in Pasig before it will leave for Baguio City tomorrow.
The Philippine Sports Arena is one of the two venues that accommodate athletes who need shelter in Manila.
The Batang Pinoy National Championships organized by the Philippine Sports Commission is a culminating event for the athletes who won medals in the three regional finals in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Thousands of athletes representing various local government units will vie for medals in 27 events in the annual meet.
As of Thursday morning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Ompong is already 725 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes moving west at a slower 20 kilometers per hour from the previous speed of 30 km/h. Signal No.1 was raised in 24 areas in Luzon and Eastern Visayas as of yesterday. /