Has PSC abandoned fight vs Covid 19?
By Eddie Alinea of The Manila Times
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 03 May 2020
Ramirez.
Authorities, last Friday, reported 284 new coronavirus infections and 11 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 8,772 and fatalities to 579.
Forty one more individuals had recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,084, the reports also specified.
Records showed total recoveries still outnumbered fatalities, although in Philippine sports, it look like Covid-19, as the pandemics is now called, continues its winning ways in the battle as to which will prevail.
Completely opposite of what the government was trying to imply.
Only a few days ago, no less than Philippine Sports Commission Chair William “Butch” Ramirez announced the cancellation of all sporting activities until end of this year. He justified his announcement saying his board’s decision was in pursuance to the directives of the Department of Budget and Management and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Ran over by the cancellation was the 10th Para Games set sometime this year in the country.
“We heed the call of the national government to cut expenses as we reroute majority of our resources to fighting the pandemic,” Ramirez was quoted by media in their stories, adding though, “but we also stand by our commitment to keep supporting members of the national team.”
Whatever the PSC top honcho meant by his contrasting statements, media outfits didn’t explain. Perhaps no one from among the media attendees when Ramirez made the announcement asked the question.
Maybe, too, because of their ignorance to the significance of the statements to future developments in the local sports scenes, like, in particular, the preparations of Filipino athletes to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which were postponed to 2021, also in the Japanese premier city.
Four Filipino athletes – boxer Eumir Marcial, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, pole vaulter JR Obiena and Carlos Yulo – have, before the total lockdown in Metro Manila and the the entirety of Luzon, so far, earned their tickets to Tokyo.
At least four to six more, if other National Sports Associations are to be believed, stand to qualify, too, depending on their performance to coming Asian qualifiers set sometime this yea.
But because of the cancellation of all PSC-sanctioned activities, officials of these NSAs have expressed wonder how their athletes can prepare well to fulfill their dreams of seeing action in the Olympics.
Initial reactions gathered by this OUTSIDER considered this action of PSC as virtual abandonment of Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution or the “Declaration of Principles and State Policies” that was the basis of its creation under the PSC Law or Rep. Act 6847.
Section 13 of Article II says: ”The state recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and social swell-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”
Section 17 provides: “The state shall give priority to education, science, and technology, arts, culture and sports to foster patriotism, and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.
Article XIV Section 19 of the Philippine constitution also provides: “The state shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry.”
“All educational institutions shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea of The Manila Times.
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