THE green light is on for the staging of the Davao Association of the weeklong Catholic Schools (Dacs) 2019 college sportsfest that will open on Monday, September 23, at the Ateneo de Davao University (Addu) on Jacinto St., Davao City.
Addu OSA head Theresa Eliab said the opening program will start at 9 a.m. and will be followed by volleyball games. The culture and arts will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoon.
"We are happy that we are holding this event as this is another area where our students will get to learn more about themselves and life in general through sports, culture and arts competitions," she said during Wednesday's (September 18) press conference at the Addu Jacinto media room.
Basketball and volleyball championship matches, according to her, might be held in bigger venues through the support of the Philippine Sports Commission.
She also said parents and schoolmates of participants and spectators may watch the games for free but must present valid IDs at the entrance of playing venues.
Most of the games will be played at Addu Jacinto while badminton is set at Wheels and More along J.P. Laurel Avenue and football at Tionko field.
Nine sports are entered in the annual meet that serves as qualifying for the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (Ceap) Mindanao including badminton, basketball, chess, football, table tennis, taekwondo, sepak takraw, swimming and volleyball.
Dacs-Davao office of student affairs (OSA) chairperson Edwin Dalumpines, meanwhile, said the events were limited. "Dacs member schools either have trimester or semester so with few sports, the students won't be missing a lot in their classes," he said.
Dacs sports director Billy Cruzada, for his part, said, "Only sports that will be played in Ceap Mindanao will also be conducted in the Dacs games."
Dacs executive director Jimmie Loe dela Vega also hopes that Ceap will have its own sports highway. "We are trying to push for a national sports program in Ceap, a separate national games for Catholic institutions," he said.
Dacs 2019 will also hold a community engagement at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Addu University Community Engagement and Advocacy Council chairperson Mark Paul Samante on September 26.