DILG reminds public playing basketball in public playgrounds still prohibited

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año warned the public on Monday that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will strictly enforce quarantine protocols in connection with the ban of contact sports like basketball in public playgrounds in the midst of the pandemic.

In an interview, Año reminded that basketball games and similar contact sports activities are still prohibited in public playgrounds.
 
“It is still prohibited (contact sports in public playgrounds). I will direct the PNP to go around and be strict in its implementation,’’ Año said.
 
Año also ordered barangay officials “to implement the guidelines regarding the prohibition on contact sports.’’
 
But despite Año’s directive, some barangay officials still rent out their basketball courts in the midst of the country’s strict implementation of social distancing.
 
Rental fees from basketball courts and multi-purpose halls are some of the income generating assets of the barangays.
 
Unmindful of the prohibition, some players chose to take chances of not being caught and continue to troop to the basketball courts to play.
 
Some barangay tanods (village security officers) complained that they are confronted with endless arguments when they prohibit stubborn players from entering the barangay’s basketball courts.
 
“Maayos naming sinasabing bawal pang magbasketball dahil sa pandemic. Pero nagrereklamo sila na bakit sa karatig na lugar ay pwede na (We respectfully told them that playing basketball is still prohibited due to the pandemic but they argued why some (basketball games) in adjacent places are allowed,’’ a tanod from Poblacion, Marilao Bulacan said.
 
He noted that one of the teenagers shouted that should not be the case since the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) bubble games have resumed at Clark, Pampanga.
 
Jaime Brun a tanod in Barangay Quirino 2-B in Quezon City said that the best option is to remove the basketball rings from the backboard or to tie the net to restrict basketball players from trooping to the court.
 
“May pandemic fatigue ng yung mga players. Sabik ng maglaro. Alam nating yun pero dapat masunod pa din social distancing rule para na din sa kapakanan ng mga tao. Konting tiis na lang para hindi masayang yung hirap ng pagtutupad ng quarantine protocols para iwas COVID mula pa nung Marso. Mahirap magka surge uli. Lalong problema yan. Tutal may trial ng gagawin sa mga vaccine (I understand the players are plagued with the pandemic fatigue. They really want to play. We know that but the social distancing rule will still have to be enforced for the people’s benefit. Let us be more patient so that the sacrifices in following quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 since March will not go to waste. It will be more difficult if there will be a surge (of COVID-19). That will be worse. Since trials for the COVID-19 vaccine are being undertaken),’’ he added.