BAGUIO CITY – The city government will be implementing a P45 million project that intends to extend the existing bleachers of the Baguio Athletic Bowl and provide other sports amenities towards increasing the its seating capacity.
City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña said the programmed fund for the said project was P49.5 million but the bid was only P45 million thereby realizing a savings of P4.5 million which will be used to improve the stability of the existing bleachers.
He pointed out the extension of the bleachers will reach the area of the Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM) and the operator of the city’s public toilets, thus, the said structures will have to be removed to pave the way for the extension of the bleachers and what will remain will be the site of the Baguio tennis court.
Further, the city administrator added that included as part of the project will be the put up of shower rooms and lockers under the bleachers and the establishment of offices for volunteer organizations who could be easily tapped during calamities and emergency situations.
He stated the funds appropriated for the project came from the realigned funds of the city government to improve the state of the bleachers of the sports facility.
The Baguio Athletic Bowl underwent the required rehabilitation at least five years ago with the implementation of the rubberized track oval project and the improvement of the bleachers with funds from the national government through the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO).
According to him, the extension of the Baguio Athletic Bowl bleachers is one of the major projects of the city government this year to help improve one of the city’s major sports facilities and increase the carrying capacity of the bleachers that will allow the city to bid for the future hosting of major city, regional, national, and even international sports competitions.
For this year, Baguio City will be hosting the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) regional sports competition where most of the sports events will be conducted in the Baguio Athletic Bowl, while indoor sports events will be done in other identified sports venues in the different parts of the city.
The city government is also planning to put up a multi-million youth convergence center within a portion of the Baguio Athletic Bowl to serve as a venue for the conduct of indoor sports events that will contribute in efforts to improve the state of the sports facility.
Earlier, an Olympic-sized swimming pool was constructed within the Baguio Athletic Bowl to help in providing for the required training venue for swimming enthusiasts which a multi-million solar heating project was completed to help in heating up the pool and save the city government from spending much for the power consumption.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis