Mixed reactions to provincial practices
WITH continued reports of new Covid-19 cases, Philippine Basketball Association team owners and officials expressed serious concerns over plans to hold training and conditioning practices in nearby provinces with less strict community quarantine protocols.
Rain or Shine team owner Raymund Yu said it would not be so easy to hold practices outside Metro Manila, which has been placed from August 4 to 18 under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine or MECQ from the general one or GCQ.
MECQ guidelines limit assembly to five people and businesses that were reopened under GCQ, such as gyms, are again prohibited from operating.
In a phone interview with The ManilaTimes on Wednesday, Yu expressed his concerns over protocols, including venue standards and quarantine period and testing.
Under guidelines set by the InterAgency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases, those who traveled to other places must place themselves under 14- day quarantine to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
But Yu hopes Season 45 will be salvaged.
For the love of the game, Yu said he would support the decision of the majority if ever they would like to hold conditioning practices outside Metro Manila or venues not under MECQ.
“Bottom line is we want the league to get started, so we have to adapt… the best decision. We will support [the decision] if most teams choose to practice there (places not under MECQ),” he said.
Apart from Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal were also placed under MECQ.
“As the owner of Rain or Shine, I believe the Season will still push through and I want to stay positive,” Yu added.
Phoenix Pulse team manager Paolo Bugia and Magnolia team governor Rene Pardo are not in favor of bringing the training outside Metro Manila due to practical reasons.
“Our worry is if we do training, then the chances of resuming the league is still uncertain. It’s hard on our part to decide for now, so we have to wait,” said Bugia in a separate interview, who maintained that Season 45 could still be held in one short conference.
“[I]t’s very hard for everybody, but mostly for the players,” said Pardo, noting that conditioning is being done by his players individually at home.
Meanwhile, Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Baham Mitra said non-MECQ areas like Batangas, Pampanga, Bataan and Quezon could be an option for the PBA teams to conduct their workouts.
Based on the joint administrative order created by the GAB, Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Health, all professional leagues like PBA, combat sports and football can hold strength and conditioning practices under the GCQ areas.
But with Metro Manila being reverted back to MECQ, team practices are also delayed. Supposedly, all teams had a schedule to undergo swab testing in Makati Medical Center this week, but this was also postponed due to the President’s declaration.
Teams have to seek clearances from the PBA Commissioner’s Office and the local government unit, which has the jurisdiction over the area.
A meeting among team governors will be held on Friday to discuss the issue.