Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) — The opening weekend of the UAAP Season 82 volleyball tournament is pushing through amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Executive Director Rebo Saguisag.
The league official emphasized that everyone’s safety is their utmost priority during times like this.
“Rest assured that the UAAP is committed to ensuring the safety of our student-athletes, the coaches, and the officials,” Saguisag said.
According to the Department of Health, the number of “patients under investigation” for novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV in the country has climbed to 382. Of them, 266 are admitted while 211 have been discharged.
This year will be historic as each playdate will be having an alternating division schedule instead of the previous format where men’s matches are played in the morning followed by a double-header women’s games in the afternoon.
The men’s teams of University of the East and University of the Philippines open the season at 9am followed by their women’s counterparts at 11am on February 15 at the MOA Arena.
Last year’s runner-up of the men’s division, Far Eastern University tackles University of Santo Tomas at 2pm before the clash between the FEU Lady Tamaraws and UST Golden Tigresses on the same day.
On February 16, defending champions Ateneo Lady Eagles battle archrival De La Salle University Lady Spikers in the women’s main match to cap the opening weekend.
National University, meanwhile, will start its title retention bid against Adamson University in the men’s division on the same day.
“As we speak, all systems go. We are prepared to face this situation but at the moment, as we speak, we’ll continue,” he said in a press conference Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
READ: Battle of the rivals headline UAAP volleyball opening
