E-GUV program off this month

CEBU, Philippines - After a series of meetings and deliberations, the Expanded-Governor Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball (E-GUV) program will finally start before the month ends with strong support coming from the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation.

Cebu Volleyball Association (CEVA) chairman and E-GUV author, Glenn Anthony Soco said that SK Federation Aladin Caminero signified his interest to support the program.

Soco said that in his initial talk with Caminero, the latter said that the SKF will pass a resolution making volleyball as their priority sport.

"It's just appropriate and fitting that other officials will align their sports program with the province. The SK Federation just started it," said Soco.

In line with the program, CEVA will then be coordinating with the Department of Education for the training process.

There are 50 schools districts in the province and they are to do clustering depending on the geographical location and the number of participants.

The training, which will be headed by Paul Delgado, is the first phase of the program which focuses on improving the skills of the coaches, officiating and the players as well.

"The training phase is important as we train the locals and raise their awareness about volleyball and after this year we can evaluate on how far we are already and the things we need to improve regarding the program," he said.

Aside from the SK Federation and DepEd, the program also gained support from the Local Government Units (LGUs) in the province, as E-GUV also aims of teaching them on how to organize local tournaments with the training on organization handling.

"What we really hope to achieve is that after the training, they can be able to organize their own local tournament. It will be a gauge for the success of the E-GUV program and will surely be a source of talent for the GUV Cup," said Soco.

CEVA would also like to encourage putting a sports commission in every LGU for the sports program like volleyball and other sports. The E-GUV covers the new extensive grassroots level volleyball program in the different LGUs, towns and cities in Cebu province.

This was made in order to complement the pronouncement of newly-elected Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) president Gener Dungo recommending Cebu to be the "Volleyball Capital of the Philippines".

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 or even international players as well," 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.   (FREEMAN NEWS)