WITH the progress in vaccine deployment in the country, UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag is feeling more and more confident that the resumption of the competitions can happen by 2022.
"We're more confident to state that Season 84 will happen sometime next year," he said on Friday's UAAP Talk.
Saguisag acknowledged that things couldn't be brought back to normal in an instant.
For that reason, he pointed out that three events — men's basketball, women's volleyball, and cheerdance competitions — are being considered high priorities.
"In an ideal world, syempre gusto namin matuloy lahat, we want everything to happen and we're planning for that," he said. "But kung talagang magiging compressed ang schedule, kung talagang magkakagipitan, we have different scenarios and at the very least, certain events must push through. We're looking at men's basketball, women's volleyball, cheerdance, and the opening ceremonies."
UAAP priority events
"We're not saying na yan lang ang gagawin, but these are the things that, at the very least, kailangan sana ma-conduct na namin."
Saguisag added that the events will adhere to the health guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and is looking more and more likely to be held in a bubble setup, likely inside one of the university campuses.
"Because of the logistical problems also, one of the things that we're looking at or we will commit to the agencies is we will have a bubble scenario. Pag pinagsabay-sabay natin lahat ng student-athletes sa isang campus, parang wala din [social distancing] eh. That's one of the reasons na kung talagang we have to trim down, those certain events will be prioritized."
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the UAAP to cut its Season 82 in March 2020 and cancel Season 83.
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