MANILA -- The decision to cancel the rest of the NCAA's 95th season is squarely in the hands of the Policy Board, says NCAA Management Committee Chairman Peter Cayco of Arellano University.
The Management Committee last week had announced that it is suspending all events until further notice, as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.
However, the outright cancellation of the rest of the season is not in their hands.
"We proposed to the Policy Board to cancel na the rest of the season," Cayco said in an interview on DZMM's "Fast Break" on Saturday afternoon.
"We're still awaiting approval," he added. "In the meantime, we were overtaken by the declaration of the lockdown."
Malacañang on Saturday released "stringent social distancing guidelines," which came after President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Thursday night that Metro Manila will be placed under "community quarantine." Among the crucial points of the guidelines is that mass gatherings -- including sporting events -- are strictly prohibited.
The community quarantine is from March 15 to April 14.
"We still have enough time to contemplate what to do," said Cayco. "But for us in the management committee, we have decided to recommend for a cancellation of the rest of the season, because it will eat up into Season 96."
The NCAA Policy Board, composed of the leaders of the universities and colleges, has yet to announce its decision regarding the Management Committee's recommendation.
As it stands, among the NCAA events that are on-going or yet to start are volleyball, beach volleyball, football, and athletics.
As of Saturday night, the Department of Health has declared 111 cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines, with eight deaths.
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website).