Plans for national athletes to resume training have been pushed back to the first week of November.
Officials of the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association are making adjustments to make this happen by the first week of November.
Patafa president Philip Ella Juico said they are now making arrangements to bring members of the national squad back to Manila by the end of October.
Juico said in an Zoom web conference last Friday that there were plans to have a restart in the second week of August.
But their preparations were delayed when Metro Manila went back Modified Enhanced Quarantine Community protocols last August 3.
“What we are trying to do is bring back the athletes by the end of October, so they can have at least a month training,” said Juico.
Private venues have been tapped to hold training sessions. The choices include De La Salle University-Canlubang in Laguna, and Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite.
Juico added that the training sessions will get the national team ready for competition in the National Open, which they plan to hold starting Dec. 4 at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Bases Conversion Development Authority Vice President Arrey Perez have confirmed to Juico the availability of the NCC facilities last Friday.
The Patafa chief said the NCC Stadium is currently being utilized as a quarantine facility for coronavirus patients.
And it will soon be disinfected to give way to the preparations that will be done for the staging of the National Open.
Juico said they are now coordinating with government agencies to make this possible.
Discussions have been done with the Philippine Sports Commission, the Interagency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Health over the Patafa’s plans.
