The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hopes national athletes could resume training on July 1 amid restrictions brought by the pandemic.
PSC Commissioner Mon Fernandez said the new schedule would still allow ample time for athletes to prepare for the 31st Southeast Asian Games that Vietnam is hosting late November.
It would also give time to the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and national sports association (NSA) officials to talk to several local government units in helping them sponsor their bubble training specifically outside of Metro Manila.
Team training was disrupted over the past few weeks after the government imposed Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in NCR, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan due to the rising number of active and new COVID-19 cases in the region.
Some national athletes are training in the said provinces.
Fernandez, also the country’s chief of mission to the SEAG, earlier said three months of preparation would be enough for athletes to peak in time for the SEAG, where the PH team is competing in 39 of 40 sports.
In Thursday’s meeting with PSC and POC officials, the group agreed to formally seek help from LGUs willing to “adopt” teams to sponsor their training like venues, meals and billeting.
“Baka may gusto magninong muna sa ating mga atletea, we are very open to this,” Fernandez said.
POC chief Bambol Tolentino, who is also Tagaytay City Rep., said it is also important to get the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to issue a directive on this proposal.
He has also committed to adopt the sports of cycling and skateboarding in his district.