Tropical depression threatens hosting of reg’l sports meet

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Schools Division yesterday announced the city will be hosting the 2014 Special Olympics Regional Games which will be attended by students with special needs from both Region 6 and 7 on December 4 to 6.

Assistant Division Head Dr. Estela Susvilla during a press conference at the Mandaue Session Hall said around 500 students and 100 coaches from different schools in both regions will be coming to the city to compete for the said games.

Students will compete in athletics, ball games, aquatic games, unified bowling, among others.

However, during yesterday’s press conference also attended by Director Oscar Tabada of the PAGASA Mactan, he informed reporters that a tropical depression is currently forming at the Pacific Ocean and will most likely hit Central Visayas either between December 5 and December 6 if it will not be dissolved.

With the report of Tabada, Susvilla said she will be informing the DepEd Central Visayas to change the schedule for the hosting of the said Olympics.

Susvilla said they have to do this as they are also after of the safety of the athletes.

All of them will be billeted at the Mandaue City Central School.

Olympic venues for the swimming competition will be done at the Cebu City Sports Center while ball games and other athletic competitions will be done at the Ateneo De Cebu in Barangay Canduman, Mandaue City.

A budget of P700,000 is being allotted for the hosting of the said event and it is taken from the city’s Special Education Fund.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Parents-Teachers Association in Mandaue City will also hold a Zumba and Fun Run on December 7.

Edgar Espina, president of the Teacher’s Association in the city, yesterday said their organization in cooperation with the PTA Federation which is chaired by GMA-7 reporter Jun Veliganio, decided to hold a wellness event so they could come up with a funding activity for their medical, ophthalmology and dental mission February next year.

Beneficiaries will be open to public school students and teachers in the city.

Both activities will be conducted outside the premises of the Cebu International Convention Center. Zumba will start at 5 a.m. and the fun run will follow at 5:30 a.m.

Registration will be done in the different public schools in the city for a fee of P200 with singlet and P100 without the singlet.

Veliganio hopes that with the mission, they can give free eyeglasses to schoolchildren and teachers who have eye problems.

He also said the dental mission is important because they know that children who are suffering from toothaches cannot concentrate on with their studies.

He added that they will be tapping GMA-7 for their medical mission. — Flor Z. Perolina (FREEMAN)