The Philippine Superliga has decided to move the Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup from late this month to February next year following the inconveniences brought by the strong typhoons that will make the hardest hits in Luzon.
In a statement, PSL Chairman Philip Ella Juico stressed the need to realign the efforts of the concerned government agencies to the needs of the victims of Super Typhoon Rolly and also the forthcoming Typhoon Siony.
“Taking a conservative and proactive position, Central Luzon, which includes the SBMA industrial zone, may sustain heavy damage to be inflicted by severe weather disturbances,” Juico wrote.
“The PSL clearly sensed the serious concern expressed by the same frontline agencies in calamities. The officials in attendance spoke of their involvement as frontliners in alleviating the suffering of thousands in Central Luzon to be directly affected by nature’s wrath,” added Juico, also the athletics federation chief.
The volleyball league was given the clearance to stage the beach volleyball tournament in Subic from November 27 to 29. With guidance from the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Department of Health, PSL has formed a medical committee that will ensure the safety of everyone.
But Super Typhoon Rolly, identified as the strongest typhoon in the world this year, forced the organizers to alter the grand plan of holding the first volleyball competition under the “new normal.”
It didn’t help that another typhoon, Siony, has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
“The PSL would like to support the successful completion by these agencies of their respective tasks. The PSL will therefore step out of the way for the common goods, so these agencies can give their full attention to the public emergency,” Juico said.