THERE’S no stopping UAAP teams from holding face-to-face training.
Despite the threat of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and the government placing the National Capital Region under the stricter Alert Level 3 status, a ranking UAAP official maintained that squads could go on and train since it will be under a bubble set-up.
“Under Alert Level 3, face-to-face training is allowed for as long as it is in a bubble environment, which is what we are doing,” University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics dean and UAAP Board of Managing Directors member Francis ‘Kiko’ Diaz told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday.
“In addition to the CHED-DOH-IATF approved guidelines for face-to-face training, we in the UAAP (as per our internal guidelines) will have weekly RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Testing so we could really protect our bubble,” he added.
Diaz insisted schools have stringent health and safety protocols if and when an athlete tests positive for the lethal pulmonary disease.
“All UAAP member universities in compliance with CHED stipulated guidelines also have our own default management and protocols system in the event that somebody tests positive for COVID,” Diaz said.
“So, tuloy ang bubble training ng mga teams namin.”
The UAAP is eyeing to launch its 84th season, set to be hosted by La Salle, in March.
The Commission on Higher Education gave the green light for the resumption of collegiate training under stringent health and safety protocols last November.
The move came on the heels of more contact sports being allowed in Metro Manila after the region was placed under Alert Level 2.
The CHED’s decision ended a long wait for the school teams’ return to physical training after the agency crafted and released the guidelines in October 2020.
The cancellation of the 83rd season in December 2020 marked the first time the UAAP called off a season since World War II from 1941 to 1946.
