THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has submitted a recommendation on the reintroduction of outdoor physical activities and sports to the Department of Health (DOH).
The document, Filipino Fitness and Recreational Sport-reintroduction Tool or Filipino First, is a study made by the PSC’s Medical and Scientific Athlete Services sports science professionals, which is headed by Dr. Randy Molo.
“We know that sports and physical activities are still very important to strengthen one’s immune system during this Covid-19 health crisis.” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez.
The Filipino First framework aims to set parameters on how reintroduction of sports activity will occur in a cautious and methodical manner while optimizing athlete and community safety.
The PSC recommendation gave conditions to be met on different community quarantine scenarios.
No specific sports were mentioned. This is in parallel to the statement of Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año that the government is finding leeway to allow sports that observe physical distancing during the general community quarantine.
“We are hopeful that the DOH and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will consider the recommendations submitted to provide a guide for our citizenry who are eager to engage on outdoor activities again.” said Ramirez,
He added that everyone should follow the guidelines set by the IATF and local government units.
Due to the present global health crisis, the PSC has decided to call off all PSC-managed events and national sports competitions, such as the country’s hosting of the 10th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Para Games, Philippine National Games, Philippine Youth Games-Batang Pinoy, and the 2020 National Sports Summit. (RSC)