IN A bid to safeguard close to 6,000 delegates coming from all over the region, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Friday, January 31, announced the postponement of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa).
Magalong during a press briefing said Caraa, which was earlier slated to open February 16-21, will be moved to a later date taking into consideration public health and safety after the country registered its first confirmed case of 2019 novel corona virus.
“We are postponing the sports meet to a later date for health security reasons due to the prevailing international health issue,” Magalong said.
Previously, the Department of Education (DepEd) Baguio, the lead agency for Caraa together with the city government earlier expressed its readiness to welcome all delegates coming from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and the component city of Tabuk.
“We are very much ready,” said DepEd Baguio assistant superintendent Soraya Faculo, who prepared this year’s Caraa budget right after the declaration of Baguio as host in December 2019.
“(It’s) all systems go for the hosting of the Caraa,” she said.
DepEd Cordillera, DepEd Baguio, city officials, Baguio Water District, among others formalized their support for the sports meet before the postponement.
Baguio has allocated P8.3 million for this year’s Caraa 2020 hosting based on the updated budget proposal of DepEd Baguio.
The Summer Capital hosted the affair for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017 before Abra and Apayao welcomed the largest gathering of student athletes in the region in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Baguio will defend the overall champion after hauling 205-110-79 gold-silver-bronze during the games held in Apayao last year.
Baguio’s gold output is more than half of the 409 total gold medals given during the meet.
The host was a surprise runner-up displacing traditional bridesmaid Benguet after coming home with 69-76-79 output, followed by Abra (39-48-88) and Benguet which dipped to a record low of 35-66-83. Ifugao was fifth (27-48-71), followed by Mountain Province (16-25-44), Tabuk City (12-29-37) and Kalinga (6-6-19). (With a report from Jonathan Llanes)