CEVA to push E-GUV program

CEBU, Philippines - To complement the pronouncement of Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) vice president Gener Dungo recommending Cebu to be the "volleyball capital of the country", the Cebu Volleyball Association (CEVA) started to make a move to its realization with the Expanded-Governor Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball (E-GUV) program.

The E-GUV, authored by CEVA co-chairman Glenn Soco, covers the new extensive grassroots level volleyball program in the different Local Government Units (LGUs) in Cebu.

The ground-breaking program is set to finally start on January next year up to July of the same year. Originally, it is supposedly be implemented alongside the 6th GUV Cup tournament but CEVA decided to conduct it after the tournament.

"We would like to be focused more first on the GUV Cup this year because the focus also of the other LGUs is also intended for the event. So by next year, it's timely that we could start the E-GUV so that the whole program will be continuous and we could effectively implement it," said Soco.

"After the GUV Cup, we will request the stakeholders from the different LGUs to organize and implement the program and we will assist them," Soco added, referring the stakeholders as the volleyball enthusiasts, government officials and the Department of Education.

The E-GUV will feature trainings and seminars in relation to playing skills, coaching and officiating.

Soco said that the goals of E-GUV would include the systematic organization, which ensures that the programs that will be set by the provincial government, CEVA and PVF will be implemented and that the standards of the rules of the game will be properly followed.

"E-GUV will boost further the awareness and participation of volleyball in the different LGUs in the grassroots level, in anticipation of more Garbo sa GUV Cup and molding national players from Cebu," said Soco.

The program would be CEVA's way of discovering younger generation of volleyball players and creating a process for the establishment of volleyball organization in each municipality with the involvement of barangays.

These organizations will be under the umbrella of the highest volleyball governing body of the province, CEVA and under the supervision of the GUV Cup.

A special team will conduct the grassroots program in the different LGUs of Cebu.

"We are fortunate that with the success of GUV Cup in the past six years, we get more participation from LGUs in the province. That's why we will make a schedule to cover all of them in the time plan scheduled," he said.

The program is open to all barangay sports coordinators, Sangguniang Kabataan and municipal sports councils, DepEd physical education teachers and coaches in the municipality where the program is conducted.

"We are poised to be the volleyball capital of the country. How can we ensure that the success is in the grassroots level?"

"That's why as early as now we're making it a point that E-GUV will create awareness from the grassroots level," Soco added. (THE FREEMAN)