In light of the recent earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol, a new date has been set for the 2013 MILO Little Olympics National Finals. With the best interests of the athletes and spectators in mind, MILO executives yesterday announced that the country’s premier interschool sports competition, which was originally slated for October 25 to 27, has now been rescheduled to November 29 to December 1. The three-day competition was expected to host about 1,600 athletes from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in Cebu CityAccording to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Cebu City will continue to experience aftershocks in two to three weeks. Consequently, the Department of Education and Honorable Mayor Michael Rama have placed Cebu City under a state of calamity and postponed classes in all levels until November 5 to ensure the safety of students and teachers citywide
Visayas delegation head Ricky Ballesteros shared that experts, engineers, and contractors have been hired to inspect the venues’ condition. “We had civil and structural engineers check if the venues are fit to play on, and as of last Friday, they declared the areas safe for competition. However, after yesterday’s strong aftershock, we are keeping a close eye on these structures and have decided that the best logical step is to postpone the event,” said Ballesteros. He added that the postponement of the event will also provide sufficient time for the young athletes to recover and prepare for the competition
