Sporting events such as basketball and other contact sports are still not allowed in Bohol even as the entire province is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the least restrictive quarantine level.

Provincial Administrator Atty. Kathyrin Pioquinto clarified that the photos and images which surfaced on social media bearing the logo of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) indicating that basketball games are now allowed comes from the neighboring province of Leyte.

Appeals to allow basketball games with the condition that the players are all residents of a particular barangay have been made by the youth sector after proposals to allow the holding of cockfighting events at the discretion of the mayors.

But according to Pioquinto, the images on social media is one of the initiatives of Baybay City, Leyte as evidenced by the fact that the local directive supporting such plan is Executive Order No. 58, dated November 13, 2020.

The latest issuance of the province of Bohol was EO No. 53. In fact, in the preceding EO No. 52, Gov. Arthur Yap only sanctions the holding of indoor and outdoor non-contact sports and other exercises and physical routines such as walking, jogging, running, biking, golf, swimming, tennis, badminton, and similar activities.

However, Pioquinto did not discount the possibility that basketball games and similar contact sports will be allowed if the initiative in Leyte is taken into consideration where only residents of a particular barangay will be allowed to participate in a game that is held within said barangay.

Pioquinto said the provincial government will certainly look into the idea of allowing basketball games. (KB, RT)