Mayors’ recommendations still need IATF approval

MANILA—The Metro Manila Council has recommended a set of guidelines when holding contact sports events in the NCR.

This developed as the Inter-Agency Task Force green-lit events in areas under Alert Level 2, the second most lenient in a government alert level system set to curb coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission.

In the recommended guidelines, read by MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos in a press conference Saturday, all in-venue individuals — both players and spectators — must be fully vaccinated before being allowed to play or watch the sporting events, both indoor or outdoor.

Contact sports, while not specifically mentioned by Abalos, is described as games that:

• Emphasize or require physical contact between players;
• Accumulate scores through deliberate hitting, striking or impacting an opponent; or
• Poses the risk of contact among players, “if considered to be accidental, fouled or penalized under the rules of the game.”

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"Considering that in the conduct of a contact sports, the players are prone to contact, while the spectators are given to cheer, to jeer or shout, only vaccinated adults and minors shall be allowed to play or watch in an organized or unorganized event," Abalos said.

"Ang hinihingi namin, maski sa labas, bakunado, mas hinihigpitan namin."

(We're requesting that they must be fully vaccinated, even [if the event will be held] outdoors. We're more strict with this.)

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People are considered fully vaccinated if it has been 2 weeks since their second dose, or 2 weeks after being jabbed with a single-dose vaccine such as Johnson and Johnson.

Players must also wear their masks while seated on the bench. They are allowed to remove those while playing. Spectators and other personnel must wear such a mask at all times.

Organizers must also secure permits from the LGU where the event will be held, and declare important event information, such as the number of participants. They must also ensure implementation of public health standards, such as gathering health declaration forms of participants, verification of vaccine cards, among others.

If it is a small-scale street league, which the MMC defines as an "unorganized event" NCR mayors are recommending that they must secure permission from a barangay official or the venue owners.

"The concerned official and/or venue owners shall supervise and ensure observance of venue capacity, vaccination requirements. Siguro marami tayong tanod diyan, hihingi lang ang vaccination card, 'yung mga ganoon, (We probably have street watchers who could check if the players are vaccinated or not.)" Abalos said.

Abalos, however, reiterated that these are still recommendations pending the approval of the pandemic task force.