FOLLOWING the opening of track and field ovals to the public, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) clarified why facility access starts only in the afternoon instead of the whole day.

The ovals in Manila, Pasig, and Baguio officially opened on Tuesday, as directed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., allowing the public to use them daily for free from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Schedule Remains

PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio told the media that the current schedule is meant to prioritize morning training sessions of national athletes, while still complying with the president’s directive.

“If these facilities are available, all we have to do is identify anong oras ba nag-training ang national team, ang mga national team ng track and field, triathlon, duathlon, boxing, and all other sports. And iwasan lang natin yun,” he said.

“That is the reason why we said, ‘Okay, from 3 pm to 10 pm every day, you can now enjoy the facilities of the track oval, walk alone, walk with your family, walk with your lolo and lola, and it’s for free’,” he added.

When asked about the possibility of allowing a morning schedule on weekends, Gregorio explained that national athletes still train on those days, especially with the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games drawing near.

“Sana po maunawaan ng mga kababayan natin. Saan ba po tayo nanggaling? Di ba po nanggaling tayo sa exclusive use? Ngayon po, binuksan natin para sa kanila,” he said

“Pero hindi po talaga pwedeng maantala at ma-bother yung focus training ng mga national athletes natin, lalo na may parating na Southeast Asian Games. Mahirap naman po na habang nagte-training ‘yung mga athletes natin, masyadong marami ‘yung tao.” 

“Ihiwalay na lang po natin. I hope they understand because we believe it’s tama naman po na we also give priority to our national athletes. So, I beg for their kind understanding,” Gregorio went on to say.

Bear With Us

Meanwhile, the PSC head mentioned that they are still working on their operations due to the complexities involved in adjusting the schedule. He believes the current setup strikes the right balance between the needs of national athletes and the public.

“Humihingi po ako ng pag-unawa sa ating mga citizens na parating na po ang SEA Games sa Disyembre sa Thailand, 1,600 athletes po ang papadala natin,” he said.

“Tayo po, ay palagay ko naman po yung 3PM to 10PM ay magandang simula na kasi hindi naman gabi pa yun para sa mga kabataan na galing sa eskwelahan, pwede na pumunta roon, 3PM to 5PM, tapos yung mga galing sa opisina 6PM to 10PM,” he added.

Meanwhile, in the same interview, triathlete and EZ Run Club co-founder Miguel Aldeguer emphasized that there are specific rules that must be observed on track and field ovals.

“Just in case not everyone knows, lanes one to four are for fast runners. Or yung mga ginagawa yung main set nila sa workout. And then lanes five to eight, ito yung mga warm-up, cool down or jogging lanes,” he said.

Aldeguer advised that those walking on the oval should stay in the outer lanes, avoiding the first four lanes where they could get in the way of faster runners.

“If you notice na there are people who run fast or they are doing their main set, best na naka-reserve sila sa inner lane. Kasi kadalasan tina-track nila time nila. Siyempre if may tao na naglalakad sa lanes one to four, lalo na kapag naka-earphones, baka ma-aksidente pa o mabunggo,” he said.

Aldeguer mentioned that these guidelines are posted at track ovals to inform people where they should work out. At the Philippine Sports Complex in Pasig, the rules are posted just outside the entrance to the oval.

“Nabigyan tayo ulit ng privilege to use the facilities ng libre. Might as well maging disiplinado sa paggamit ng facilities. Kasi need din tayo maging mindful na hindi lang tayo gumagamit ng track,” he said.

“Meron din iba’t ibang tao gumagamit. Sana maging disiplinado yung mga tao para hindi ma-takeaway yung privilege natin,” Aldeguer added.

It’s encouraging to see how quickly the PSC and local government units made the facilities accessible. Now, the public simply needs to follow the fair schedule and rules to ensure everything runs smoothly.