LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Benguet caretaker congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Yap assured that he will sure of the availability of funds for the put up of a Olympic-size swimming pool within the Wangal Sports Complex to boost the chances of the province in having a world-class sports facility that will enhance in developing local sports talents.
Yap, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriations, stated that the put up of the swimming pool will follow after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation and upgrading of the track oval which will be rubberized to conform with international standards that will allow Benguet to host prestigious local, regional, national and international sports events that will help in spurring the local economy.
For this year, Yap earmarked some P165 million in the annual budget of the public works department for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Wangal Sports Complex which is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of next year.
Further, some 30 million was also sourced by Yap from the same department to pursue the upgrading of the Wangal gymnasium where P5 million came from the 2020 national budget and another P25 million was sourced out from the 2021 budget of the agency.
Congressman, together with Gov. Melchor Diclas, led the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated gymnasium which will be ready in time for the province’s celebration of its 121st founding anniversary and Adivay on November 23, 2021.
The lawmaker is just awaiting the computations being done by experts to ascertain the funds that will be needed for the put up of the swimming pool that will conform to international standards so that the facilities will be given the necessary accreditation by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the hosting of such events in the future.
For his part, Gov. Diclas claimed that the development of the Wangal Sports Complex started when the Late Rep. Nestor Fongwan, Sr. was still the father of the province where the same was supposed to be continued when he was elected as the province’s Representative to the House of Representative in 2019. However, he was not able to pursue such a goal because he succumbed to a lingering illness on December 18, 2019.
Diclas expressed his gratitude to Congressman Yap for continuing the rehabilitation and upgrading of the facilities within the Wangal Sports Complex which will be one of his legacies that he will leave in the province in the future.
The governor disclosed that with the upgraded facilities, Benguet will be able to further hone the skills and talents of young and upcoming athletes for them to continue bringing honor and pride to the province by being able to win medals in their sports disciplines in various competitions locally and abroad.
Moreover, he asserted that Benguet will be able to bid for the future hosting of sports competitions that will draw the influx of more sports enthusiasts and visitors to visit the different destinations aside from participating in their sports disciplines. By HENT
