‘Ruby’ forces Davide to move prov’l meet

CEBU, Philippines - In anticipation of the possible arrival of storm “Ruby,” Governor Hilario Davide III has directed the Department of Education – Cebu Province to move the provincial meet next month.

The provincial meet is supposed to bring together student athletes from across the province to Argao and Dalaguete from December 5 to 10.

Yesterday, DepEd Cebu Provincial Schools Division Supt. Arden Monisit issued Memorandum No. 666 postponing the conduct of the Cebu Provincial Sports and Cultural Festival to January 5-10, 2015, tentatively.

“District Supervisors and Secondary Lead Principals are enjoined to inform their respective Municipal Mayors and other stakeholders involved in this weeklong activity,” the memorandum reads.

Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said Davide gave the directive Monday to avoid putting everyone involved in the event in possible danger.

As of 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration placed the weather system at 2,265 km east of Mindanao with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometer per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kilometers per hour. It is forecasted to move west northwest at 35 kph.

The weather system is called “Hagupit” internationally but will be named “Ruby” locally once it enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility, approximately tomorrow or Friday.

The weather bureau said there are two scenarios for the storm: to make a curve toward Japan or make landfall in the Visayas, northern Mindanao or Bicol.

Meanwhile, apparently irked with the postponement of the event, Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez suggested to scrap the activity altogether.

“This year has proven no different from last year because they can’t make up their minds altogether on when to hold it so the result has been one postponement after another,” Ramirez posted on his Facebook account.

“Can they just imagine the added expenses incurred? Funds have already been disbursed and provisions bought aside from the fact that moving it means another added cost of meals for the athletes as they train again for the January opening,” Ramirez said.

He not pushing through with the activity in January would save the local government units money intended for vehicle rental and fuel.

“Because ever since I’ve entered public service, it’s always been the practice that the meet be held at towns closest to the governor’s heart and that’s the reason Argao is once again holding it this year,” Ramirez said.

Davide is from Argao.

He also questioned the credibility of the sports event, saying that ever since he became mayor, there has allegedly been “a lot of cheating going on” and he has long given up hopes of winning medals in a fair manner.

Tribunalo, however, said postponing the event would prevent possible incidents such as what happened in Argao last September when three students of Calagasan National High School died after they were swept away by a flash flood while crossing a river on their way home.

Even if the storm will spare the Visayas, there is still a possibility that it would bring heavy rains, he said.

Aside from being a preemptive measure, Tribunalo said postponing the event would also give Argao more time to repair the damage tropical depression Queenie caused the venue.

“This would also give them the time to repair damage sa venue damage by Queenie,” he said.

Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda, and Dumanjug are now placed under a state of calamity after Queenie poured massive rains there last week, inflicting damage worth up to P230 million as of Monday./JMO  (FREEMAN)