Iloilo all set for WVRAA meet

ILOILO City – The Department of Education’s (DepEd) Division of Iloilo is all set for the 2011 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet from March 20 to 24.
WVRAA Secretary-General Dr. Ma. Janelyn Fundal said some 3,000 delegates from six provinces of the region are participating. They are composed of athletes, coaches, technical officials and school officials.
WVRAA serves as the qualifying meet in the selection of athletes that will represent the region in the Palarong Pambansa to be held in Dapitan City from May 8 to 14.
Athletes in the elementary level are set to compete in 15 sports events:
* arnis
* athletics
* badminton
* baseball
* basketball
* boxing
* chess
* football
* sipa
* softball
* swimming
* table tennis
* taekwando
* tennis; and
* volleyball.
There will be 14 sports events in the secondary level:
* archery
* arnis
* athletics
* badminton
* baseball
* basketball
* boxing
* chess
* football
* softball
* swimming
* table tennis
* tennis; and
* volleyball.
Fundal said some sports contested in previous editions of the WVRAA will not be played this year as agreed upon by the Regional School Sports Council. These are gymnastics for boy and girls (elementary and secondary), taekwondo for boys and girls (secondary), tennis for boys (secondary) and sepak takraw.
The city and provincial governments are supportive of the WVRAA. Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has seen to it that accommodations and security of the participants are taken cared of as some of the city schools will serve as billeting areas of the delegates.
Schools that will be used as billeting areas are:
* La Paz I Elementary School for the Negros Occidental delegation
* Jalandoni Memorial National High School for the Capiz delegation
* Graciano Elementary School for the Guimaras delegation
* Iloilo Central Elementary School for the Aklan delegation
*Jaro 1 Elementary School for the Antique delegation; and
* Iloilo National High School for Iloilo delegates and technical officials.
Aside from the Iloilo Sports Complex, other venues of various sports events are:
* Western Visayas College of Science and Technology new site for the archery
* Division of Iloilo City Social Hall for arnis
* Western Institute of Technology new site for throwing event
* Central Philippines University grounds for baseball elementary and secondary; and
* West Visayas State University grounds for softball (secondary and elementary).
SM City Iloilo in Mandurriao district will be the venue for chess, table tennis, volleyball (elementary) and Plazuela de Iloilo for boxing.
“This is what is good about the city and province of Iloilo. If one venue is not available, there are other venues we could use,” said Fundal. (LAF, PIA-Iloilo/PN)