THE return of face-to-face sports competition in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Evraa) is a cause for celebration.
Dr. Evelyn Fetalvero, director of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Eastern Visayas, said this following the resumption of the biggest regional school sports tournament from April 24 to 27 at the Leyte Sports Development Center (LSDC) in Tacloban City after three years of hiatus due to the pandemic.
“Sports and physical education provide a great opportunity for children to head outside, get active, and focus on developing different skills. The benefits of sports in education are vast, and they aren’t just physical benefits,” said Fetalvero.
A total of 5,149 student-athletes from the 13 divisions, together with other national and local government unit officials, are set to participate in this year’s multi-sports competition, with the opening program of the event slated on April 25 at the LSDC.
The Division of Leyte and Tacloban City will host the sports event.
During the sports board meeting, Fetalvero underscored the importance of partnership and “strong collaboration of stakeholders” for the event's success.
In a statement, Fetalvero said the event has an allocation of P2-million from the DepEd Central Office and another P1.5 million from the regional office to augment the budget.
Meanwhile, host division officials continued monitoring the billeting schools for the different delegations in the city and nearby towns to ensure their safety and convenience during the event.
Law enforcement agencies have also provided security assistance.
"I have directed the police units concerned for the hosting of Evraa 2023 to secure the safety and security of Evraa delegates," said Brigadier General Rommel Francisco Marbil, police regional director.
Evraa serves as a prelude to the 2023 Palarong Pambansa, where DepEd-Eastern Visayas hopes to find the best athletes to represent at the national level competition. (SunStar Philippines)