BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan directed the City Sports and Recreation Division under the City Administrator’s Office to prepare the required communications addressed to the committee of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on the intention of the local government to host the 2018 PalarongPambansa.
The chief executive announced that he already received the commitment from Benguet Gov. Crescencio C. Pacalso and La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda allowing the use of their sports facilities as venues for the different sports activities of the Palarong Pambansa once the city will be chosen by the screening committee.
“We express our gratitude to Gov. Pacalso and Mayor Salda for their timely commitment in allowing their sports facilities as part of the city’s submission in its bid for the Palaro hosting as added playing venues because we really need the help of Benguet and La Trinidad in this worthy endeavour,” Domogan stressed.
Earlier, the Baguio Sports Development Council chaired by Mayor Domogan decided to seek the help of Benguet and La Trinidad the use of their sports facilities and additional playing venues before the local government will submit its bid for the hosting of the 2018 Palarong Pambansa to make sure that there will be sufficient sports venues for the numerous sports activities to be held during the national sports competition.
At the same time, he also ordered the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) to fastrack the conduct of public bidding for the utilization of the P60 million earlier marked in the 2016 supplemental budget for a multi-storey sports building near the Olympic-sized swimming pool within the Baguio Athletic Bowl which could be used for indoor sports events once the city will be selected as next year’s host of the Palarong Pambansa.
According to him, the local government attempted to bid for the hosting of the 1996 prestigious national sports event and the same was not replicated because of a bad experience which he encountered during the said bidding process.
During the early stagings of the Palarong Pambansa, the host of the national sports event is a consensus of all regional directors of the Department of Education while the current practice now is that the various Undersecretaries of the education department take turns in heading the committee in charge of administering the conduct of the sports event.
One of the distinct advantages of the local government in being chosen as the next host of the Palarong Pambansa is its cool climate which sports officials and athletes prefer compared to being exposed to the scorching heat of the sun coupled with humid air when the sports events are conducted in the lowlands.
Vigan City in Ilocos Sur reportedly submitted its letter of intention to also host the 2018 hosting of the Palarong Pambansa while Davao City signified its intention to be the host of the 2019 national sports competition after the staging of the premier national sports competition in Luzon next year.
By Dexter A. See
