MANILA, 17 May — To be held or not to be held — that is the question.
The staging of this year’s Palarong Pambansa, traditionally the source of would-be national athletes, is still hanging in the balance.
With the clock ticking fast on the Palaro — a multi-sports event for elementary and high school students — its chances of being held next month remain bleak.
This came about after a scheduled meeting last week in Malacanang that was seen as the final hope to save the Palaro’s staging this year was canceled when Education secretary Raul Roco left abruptly for Shanghai, China, for an official business.
Roco left for China without changing his tough stand not to get his department involved in the staging of the 2002 Palaro in Naga City originally set June 3-8, citing the lack of time and money.
Still, efforts are being undertaken to have Roco reconsider his decision to move the Palaro to January next year.
With Roco refusing to budge an inch on his stand, the resurrection of the Palaro now lies in the hands of President Arroyo, who has already agreed to grace the opening ceremonies of the sportsfest on June 3.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella and Naga City Mayor Jessie Robredo were supposed to meet with Roco and Executive secretary Alberto Romulo in a last-ditch effort to save the Palaro.
Instead, Buhain and Puentevella handed over a position paper to Romulo for president Arroyo’s perusal with the fervent hope that Roco would reconsider his decision. Buhain said the Palace, particularly Romulo, is very receptive about the June schedule of the Palaro.
“We have already presented our position to the president after meeting with secretary Romulo. It’s now up to the president to decide and we believe secretary Roco will also understand our position,’’ said Puentevella.
The president Puentevella said, is already aware of the crisis. She was briefed about Roco’s decision while on a two day visit in Malaysia and Thailand last week.
“I am optimistic secretary Romulo would be able to convince the president to also convince secretary Roco about the June 3 Palaro,” said Puentevella.
According to Puentevella, Romulo is also convinced the Palaro, if staged next month, will also proceed smoothly since “everything is practically in place.”
But over at the Education Department, the picture remained gloomy as far as the Palaro is concerned.
Even most of the regional directors who are supposed to supervise the games have been calling Roco’s office to stress their unavailability.
“Even if I give the go-signal to push through with the Palaro this year, the regional offices (of the Department of Education) can’t do it. We had several meetings in the past and they said they are not prepared,” Roco explained.
Still, Buhain and Co. remain hopeful the president could help convince Roco to reconsider his decision to postpone the Palaro to next year after the PSC failed to deliver the operational funds for its staging, amounting to P32 million, to the DepEd on time.
The PSC was one working day late in delivering the budget for operational expenses of the DepEd’s regional offices for the 10-day Palaro. Buhain immediately wrote an appeal letter asking Roco to reconsider the decision “since everything is all set for the games.”
“A cancellation means there would be no Palaro for two consecutive years and that would be unhealthy for the country’s grassroots sports development program, particularly on the continuity of those programs,” said Buhain.
The funds, which the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation released May 6, will be for the food, uniform, and transportation allowances of the various delegations.
After the PSC failed to remit the amount in time, Roco said he had no recourse but to reset it next year.
“Well, the week has ended and the department is left with empty representations and even lesser time,” Roco said in a strongly-worded letter he sent to Buhain last week.
“For these reasons, I am constrained to enforce the decision of the management committee of the DepEd and reset the Palaro to January 2003 in Naga City. The preparations and readiness of Naga City have been commendable. Unfortunately, the PSC has not given justice to these preparations,” Roco said.
But Buhain explained he moved “heaven and earth” to secure the funds committed for the operations of the DepEd regional directors, but, unfortunately, came up one working day late.
“We can hold the Palaro anytime. Preparations are in high gear and only the final details are left to be ironed out,” said Buhain. “I am optimistic that secretary Roco, a very reasonable man, would reconsider his stand.” Buhain said that if the Palaro is postponed, he would feel “sad and disappointed for the thousands of students who have been preparing for the event.”
“We are very much concerned with the athletes and with the disruption of the program which we have set up. A disruption would create a domino effect to the other grassroots programs we have set up,” he said.
Buhain recalled: “When I was a student athlete, every year I remember looking forward to the Palaro. We have to consider that the children athletes have prepared long and hard for the games. Perhaps 8,000 kids have now been disappointed and maybe 8 million more will no longer be interested.”
Buhain is also extremely concerned about the losses that would be incurred if the Palaro is not staged next month.
Another primary concern, Buhain said, is that millions have already been spent for the buildup for the Palaro including P31 million from the DepEd coffers, which were used for the municipal, district, provincial, and regional eliminations staged in the first quarter of the year. Naga City has also already spent P10 million to spruce up its facilities.
“The Naga people have done their dry runs and are already zeroed in on the Palaro,” he said. For the record, the Palarong has already been postponed twice during the last three years for political or financial reasons.
“The management committee of DepEd voted to postpone the Palarong Pambansa since there was no more time nor money for training and good preparation,” Roco said in his letter to Buhain.
With less than a month left before the start of competitions, Roco blew his top when he learned the PSC had exceeded the deadline for the release of the funds to the regional directors. Roco criticized the PSC for the haphazard logistical support flowing from its cavalier attitude which he said is not acceptable to the department.
“Training of athletes requires consistency and discipline both of which virtues we have not seen in the recent actions of the PSC,” Roco said, adding that “the lack of discipline will not produce good athletes.”
Roco helped Naga City win the bid to host the Palaro over Tubod, Lanao del Norte. The Palaro was originally scheduled in April.
With President Arroyo undecided on this year’s host — Naga, represented by Roco, or Tubod, represented by Rep. Bobby Dimaporo — the PSC decided to hold it May 19-28 to get more time to prepare its manpower resources and acquire the funds for competitions. The DepEd, which is mobilizing school teachers and technical officials for the event, suggested May 26-June 2 as the new date, but later set it June 2-8 and much later to June 3-8, since the president would be available for the opening only on June 3.
This is the second time the PSC is asking the DepEd to reconsider its decision to postpone this year’s Palaro.
Earlier, the education department had to reconsider its April 26 decision to cancel the Palaro because of the “flurry of appeals” from the PSC. Roco also assailed Buhain for including basketball in the competition in violation of their agreement.
Basketball, he said, increases expenses without adding to the potential of getting a gold medal in international contests.
Roco said the agreement was to concentrate on events where the Philippines can excel in world competition such as athletics, badminton, baseball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo and dancesport.
Meanwhile, Sen. Robert Jaworski asked Buhain to accept the “wiser decision” of Roco, saying it is best to hold the Palaro in January when the weather is cooler.
The former PBA superstar said that pushing through with the Palaro in its original June 3-10 schedule this year, as pressed by Buhain, is ill-advised.
“It (Palaro) is too close to the opening of the classes. One of the goals of the Palaro is to get the best young athletes to play from the ranks of the students. How can we do that if we will hold it at the opening of the classes?” Jaworski said. “January can be an ideal schedule because the weather is convenient for the athletes to give their best,” he said.
