CLOSE to 100 athletes from Bacolod City who are set to compete for the 2018 Batang Pinoy championships had kicked off on Monday, September 17, today in Baguio City have experienced the wrath of Typhoon Ompong when it hit midnight of September 15.
Bacolod City Sports liaison officer Geraldyn Montemayor, delegation head Adrian Melocoton, and Tay Tung High School volleyball team head Jose Montalbo, along with the athletes, arrived in Baguio starting September 13, just as the typhoon entered the area and brought heavy rains, strong winds, flash floods and landslides.
Montalbo said, “It was indeed an experience to see how typhoon Ompong poured in heavy rains and strong winds. Public utility bus operation was cancelled at the height of Ompong due to the landslides. What we did here was to stay inside the hotel and billeting area for us to be safe. The temperature here is very cold plus the heavy rains. But we are all safe here.”
The Batang Pinoy was supposed to kick off on September 15.
But because of Ompong, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan decided to forgo the opening ceremonies of the Batang Pinoy to ensure the safety of all the participants.
The competition will start today to give the delegations the ample time for safe travel, in consideration of the inclement weather due to Typhoon Ompong.
Montemayor told SunStar Bacolod that all the athletes are ready to compete in the 10 sports discipline namely arnis, athletics, chess, table tennis, taekwondo, karatedo, sepak takraw, swimming, volleyball and gymnastics.
“We hope that we could bring home the bacon. To all the parents of our athletes and to the Bacolod City officials, we are all safe here and ready to compete starting today. Thank you for all your prayers for our safety here and we hope that we can bring all the glory to Bacolod City,” she said.