BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) has placed Benguet province under a blue alert status from Feb. 22 to 27 to ensure the safety of more than 7,000 athletes joining the regional sports meet in the province.
Albert Mogol, CDRRMC chairman and Office of Civil Defense director, in Memorandum 15-2026, said they already conducted Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) meeting for the 2026 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet on Feb. 16 “to evaluate preparations, identify support systems, and ensure preparedness measures and response readiness for heightened monitoring and or in case of untoward eventualities.”
At least 7,182 athletes, officials and coaches will troop to Benguet starting Feb. 20 in time for the grand opening of the 2026 Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) meet on Feb. 22.
They will come from Abra, 867; Apayao, 886; Baguio, 884; Ifugao, 764; Kalinga, 677; Mountain Province, 740; Tabuk City, 612 and 1,038 from the 13 municipalities of host province, Benguet.
About 231 police personnel, aside from force multipliers, will be deployed at the 137 billeting areas in different municipalities of the province and the 52 playing venues.
Baguio City National High School will also host the gymnastics event.
Escalation may be made to red alert as the situation requires, the memorandum said.
CARAA is an annual sporting event organized by the Department of Education (DepEd) for the grassroots sport development in the country and is participated in by elementary and high school learners. The regional winners will be eligible to represent the Cordillera in the Palarong Pambansa. **Liza Agoot
