- VP urges DAVRAA athletes to stop gameplay anytime
By Maimona Wanda Lao and Rhoda Grace B. Saron
VICE PRESIDENT Sara Z. Duterte urged athletes and delegates of the Davao Regional Athletics Association (DAVRAA) to request timeouts or substitutions if the extreme heat proved to be unbearable.
During the DAVRAA 2024 kickoff on April 1 at Davao City Sports Complex, the vice president reminded the students to never compromise their physical health at the expense of winning.
“Tungod kay ang DAVRAA, naa na kada tuig, ang atoang mga sports meet naa na kada tuig, so pwede pa ta mudula sunod tuig (The DAVRAA takes place every year, so we can try again next year),” she said.
She also reminded coaches and technical officials to suspend the games if the heat spikes.
“Pwede mo mupili sa buntag sayo o sa hapon na padulong sa gabii. Ayaw ninyo pugsa og padula ang mga athletes kung kahibalo mo nga bisan kamo maglisod sad mo og dula tungod sa kainit (You can schedule the games early in the morning or in the afternoon heading toward evening. Don’t force the athletes when you know that you yourselves could’t bear to play under the heat),” she added.
The Department of Education secretary also commended the city government, national and local agencies, and the security sector for the successful hosting of DAVRAA 2024.
“We already hosted DAVRAA meets twice before when I was still the Davao City mayor, and I can say that this event was more than fun and successful compared to the previous ones,” VP Duterte said.
The DAVRAA meet will run from April 1 to 7, 2024.
DCPO oversees security
Meanwhile, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has deployed over 1,500 personnel to ensure the safety of athletes and delegates.
DCPO chief Col. Richard Bad-ang emphasized their commitment to a successful event.
“We, along with other security and safety clusters, will achieve this through coordinated efforts and the cooperation of all involved parties,” he said on Monday.
Since March 28, 2024, a total of 1,531 DCPO personnel have been overseeing security at both event venues and delegate billeting areas.
Bad-ang reminded everyone to adhere to the guidelines set by the local government and to embrace Davao City’s “culture of security” for a safe and enjoyable DAVRAA 2024 experience for all participants.
