CVIRAA revisited

Twice delayed, it’s now up and running. The CVIRAA or the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association is easily the biggest multi-sport Olympic style event for the Central Visayas, bringing in the top athletes from the different divisions of the Department of Education (DEPED) Region 7. For this schoolyear, perennial favorite Cebu City plays host to the games with the Cebu City Sports Center as the main hub of operations along with several satellite venues scattered around the city. And as it does every year, the CVIRAA sends all its top athletes to represent the region at the annual Palarong Pambansa which will be held in Laguna in May.

There is no doubt that the CVIRAA is probably the only athletic meet where you see the convergence of the best athletes of the region under the age of 17. While Team Cebu City is already a given to win the over-all championship, there are also several finds who rise out of the other teams from as far as Negros Oriental, Bohol and Siquijor. Although they come from the region, we must take note of how the teams are formed. For starters, it’s all about the divisions of the DEPED. Each city is a team on its own. And this is why you’ll hear about a team from Mandaue, Talisay, Dumaguete, Carcar and Bogo; and then you’ll also encounter a Cebu Province team which is composed of all the other towns in the province combined. The same is true for the separate teams for Bohol and Tagbilaran City, and Negros Oriental Province, split from Dumaguete, Bais, Tanjay and Bayawan.

The CVIRAA is therefore a battle for bragging rights among the different DEPED divisions, and it’s no surprise that the bigger, richer and more developed divisions always come out on top. Cebu City is a sure champion with all the biggest schools based here, while Cebu Province (with all its component towns) is also a favorite. Mandaue City has been a challenger of late, although not yet at the same level as its neighbor. At the end of the day, the main goal is to produce the best athletes to represent the region at the Palarong Pambansa 2014. And so the games will run from yesterday to Thursday; winners will be awarded, tears will be shed, hugs will be exchanged, and voices will be raised. But over-all, it will be a fun-filled meet. While there is no doubt that everything will move smoothly as it does every year, my wish is that the DEPED 7 also look into matters that will make the CVIRAA even better.

I’d like to cite two elements which I feel can be improved and it will be for the good of all. First is the screening of athletes which can be simplified, but seems to be made difficult every year. In order to speed up screening and make it easier, the DEPED 7 should build a data base of athletes who have competed in every CVIRAA. I know of an athlete who has competed in the CVIRAA since he was in Grade 6 and has passed every screening with flying colors. Now that he’s in Grade 10 (or fourth year) in what is his farewell tour at the CVIRAA, his birth certificate was questioned and the poor parents were asked to produce another one. Here is someone who was cleared when he was 12 years old and every year after, and now he’s questioned? If the DEPED has a data base of athletes, they would’ve found out that he was cleared for four straight years and even represented the CVIRAA at a Palarong Pambansa in the past. How can they suddenly doubt him after all these years? This data base would make screening so much easier as there wouldn’t be any need to look up records except for the most recent data such as athlete’s records, transcript of records, medical and dental clearances. Another headache from the side of coaches is when a legitimate Certificate of Employment for a coach which is issued by a private school and signed by no less than the school’s president, is questioned. Wow! Doesn’t the DEPED trust school presidents these days? Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for transparency and the need to clean up against cheating. But sometimes, some just tend to overdo it.

Another important element which can be looked into is what the region does with its top athletes. If you conduct a survey of all the CVIRAA high school gold medalists of the past, you’ll be surprised to see that many of them are no longer active in sports despite their talent. They ought to be showcasing their stuff in college sports but are they there? How many of them actually move on to grab college scholarships in the region or elsewhere? This is crucial as this is the much-needed continuity link in grassroots sports. We can’t let a bright future of an athlete end at high school, can we? While this isn’t a task of the DEPED, a program can be put in place to facilitate their transition into college.

Play on! Here’s wishing the CVIRAA another fruitful year and may the team be even stronger when it goes to the Palaro 2014.