Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III has issued guidelines on who can play and watch basketball and other contact sports in the municipality.
Ponce issued Executive Order No. 34, adopting Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution 21-28, which he signed, providing guidelines in the conduct of contact sports in Pateros.
Under the executive order and MMDA resolution, a contact sport is defined as “a sport that: a) emphasizes or requires physical contact between players; b) accumulates scores or points through deliberate hitting, striking, or impacting an opponent; and c) has the possibility of physical contact between opposing players and/or among teammates even if considered to be accidental, foul, or penalized under the rules of the sport, i.e., basketball, volleyball, etc.”
In his EO, Ponce said, “only fully-vaccinated adults shall be allowed to participate (players or spectators) in the organized or unorganized event. This is to ‘incentivize’ persons to get vaccinated.”
“However, players or spectators who are symptomatic shall not be allowed to play or watch the event regardless if they are fully vaccinated,” he said.
Minors aged 12 to 17 years old will be allowed to play even if they are not vaccinated. However, they are given a deadline of until Dec. 14 to get fully vaccinated.
“Starting December 15, 2021 however, the minors should be fully vaccinated before they are allowed to play,” the mayor said.
Players have the option to wear face masks while playing but when they are not playing, they must wear it and observe social distancing.
“On the other hand, spectators and all other persons shall wear face masks and observe social distancing at all times,” according to the EO.
In an organized event, defined as “an event where there are identifiable or determinable organizers, participants, venue, and schedule,” in both public and private and indoor and outdoor venues, the organizer or venue owner/operator needs to apply for a permit with the Office of the Mayor.
The application needs to state “the nature of the event, number of participants, and duration and further ensure and undertake that venue capacity limitations, vaccination requirements, and minimum public health standards are strictly enforced. Moreover, the organizer and/or venue owner or operator shall have a written registry and health declaration of participants, spectators, and all other persons in the event therein stating their names, addresses, and contact numbers and conduct temperature check and verification of vaccination cards.”
For unorganized events, or those “random or spontaneous where there are no evident organizers, participants, and schedule,” in public and private, and indoor and outdoor venues, the barangay officials and venue owner/operator will supervise and ensure observance of venue capacity limitations, vaccination requirements and minimum public health standards.
The National Capital Region is under Alert Level 2 until Nov. 30.