At least 4,400 public school students are forced to stop taking their swimming lessons this week as the Makati Aqua Sports Arena (MASA) was rendered inaccessible since Sunday, March 3, following another closure order from the local government of Taguig City. MASA is an outdoor swimming pool facility adjacent to the Makati Park and Garden, which Taguig City also closed to the public a week ago.
Evidently, Makati City decried this development amid the ongoing tug of war between the two local governments. “The illegal closure of MASA has disrupted the training of over 4,000 students. The rash action of Taguig has denied them access to the facility where they can learn an important life skill and even become competitive swimmers,” Makati City administrator Claro Certeza said. MASA is equipped with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a kids’ pool with showers and lockers. It is where Makati City’s ‘I Can Swim’ program is being held. The project was launched last year to encourage young people to become competitive swimmers and develop resilienc