Davao City—Mayor Sara Z. Duterte has canceled the trip of the 301 Davao City delegates to Baguio City to compete in the “Batang Pinoy” sports competition due to Typhoon Ompong, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility Wednesday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we cancel the trip of the 301 Davao City delegates to Baguio City for the Batang Pinoy sports competition,” the mayor said in a statement.
The city delegates were supposed to leave on Thursday for the youth games.
“This is to ensure the delegates will not be caught stranded in bad weather. We cannot compromise the safety of the children, coaches, and support staff,” she said.
The mayor said she is concerned that “Ompong” would cause flooding and travel disruptions.
And if heavy rains continue for several hours, landslides would likely occur, Mayor Sara said, adding that if athletes and coaches would insist on attending the competition, they may do so at their own risk.
The national youth games are the government’s annual multi-sports meet for school children and out-of-school youth aged 15 and below.
It is organized by the Philippine Sports Commission and will be hosted by Baguio City and Benguet province on Sept. 15 to 21.
The Batang Pinoy features a total of 28 events with more than 3,000 youth athletes.