PSC chairman Eric Buhain and commissioner Mike Barredo both agreed November is not the appropriate time to hold the annual multi-sports meet for children aged 12 years and below since it runs smack into country’s preparation for the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
"We know is going to be a busy year for us because of several local and international events lined up for 2003" said Buhain, referring to the SEAG and the Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Games.
"The Regional and National Games are tentatively scheduled September to October while SEAG is set December so there might be no time to hold it on November," he added.
Barredo, project director of the sports agency’s OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) Games which is currently ongoing at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, for his part, said that it would still be up to the next Batang Pinoy host to decide on the date.
"August is a possibility," Barredo told The STAR. "It will still depend on the next host but there’s nothing wrong with holding it on November or a month or two before that since the Batang Pinoy and Regional and National Games serve different markets."
Unlike the Batang Pinoy, the three-part Regional Games and the culminating National Games are, according to Buhain and Barredo, more or less a qualifying tournament for the RP team set to compete in the Hanoi SEAG.
The PSC is currently selecting which among the candidate Local Government Units (LGUs) would be next year’s host of the Batang Pinoy.
There were reports that Manila has gained an inside track as next year’s Batang Pinoy venue although LGUs like Lucena City, Quezon, Naga City, Cebu and Laguna are also serious contenders. Antique, Bohol and Marikina have also expressed desire to host it but appeared not as keen as the others.
Tubod, Lanao del Norte, host of Palarong Pambansa next summer, and this year’s Batang Pinoy host Puerto Princesa were bidders too but might not be selected since the agency is inclined on spreading its sports meets to other venues.
Buhain said they would announce the Batang Pinoy venue next month.