MANILA, Philippines – As the April 30 deadline of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) draws nearer, many are eager to get back in step with their everyday lives.
This includes the occurrence of sporting events across the country that have been put to a halt due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis.
But with mass gatherings likely to be discouraged until August this year, what can Filipino sports fans expect from the country's biggest leagues once everything starts getting back to normal?
For starters, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is preparing to trim down their usual three-conference season to only two with the health crisis halting this year's Philippine Cup just after its opening weekend.
In a report by The STAR last April 7, chairman Ricky Vargas said that a two-conference contingency plan is the best course of action for the COVID-disrupted year.
However, if the health situation doesn't improve enough to hold two conferences, league officials said they were open to even only holding one conference for the season.
Meanwhile, the Manny Pacquiao-led Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) said it would strive to finish the season after the health crisis is controlled.
The MPBL's Lakan Cup was cut short in the deep-end of its playoff run, with only four teams remaining in the run for the national finals.
For volleyball, on the other hand, the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), headed by commissioner Ricky Palou, said it is unlikely to be able to open the season as planned on May 30.
According to PVL broadcast partner ABS-CBN, PVL stakeholders are set to meet after the ECQ regarding contingency plans for the season.
Rival league Philippine Super Liga (PSL) has also put a hold on its eighth season due to the health crisis.
The PSL was able to hold closed-door games with the teams in the Grand Prix Conference, which was eventually canceled.
The volleyball league has yet to announce any plans on resumption of games after the ECQ.
Collegiate leagues like the NCAA and the UAAP have both terminated their respective seasons due to the health crisis, with second semester sports totally scrapped.
New seasons of the collegiate leagues will likely kick off later this year, it is unclear at the moment if the coronavirus will still affect the schedule of these events.