LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Yap expressed hope that the ongoing multi-million rehabilitation and upgrading of the Wangal Sports Complex will be completed within the prescribed time frame up to March 2022.
Yap, who chairs the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, conducted a recent ocular inspection on the works accomplished by the contractor of the project and saw for himself the seemingly snail-paced works since the implementation of the project started several months ago.
However, the lawmaker pointed out that he has still the confidence on the implementing agency which is the Department of Public Works and Highways First Benguet District Engineering Office (DPWH-FBDEO) and the contractor that the ongoing works will be fastracked so that the same will be completed within the prescribed time frame.
Congressman Yap stipulated that something substantial must be done in the ongoing improvement of the Wangal Sports Complex so that Benguet will be ready to host various prestigious local, regional, national and even international sports competitions that will place the province as one of the preferred venues for such competitions in the future.
He assured concerned stakeholders that he will personally closely monitor the implementation of the programmed works for the upgrading of the Wangal Sports Complex to ensure that the same will conform with existing standards so as not to repeat the same mistakes in similar projects that were completed in other local governments.
On January 29, 2020, Yap promised to provide the needed funds for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Wangal Sports Complex when he was afforded a simple welcome ceremony at the gymnasium after he was appointed as the province’s legislative caretaker by former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
True to his promise, Congressman Yap was able to include in the annual budget of the public works department for this year some P165 million for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the track oval while another P25 million was earmarked for the improvement of the covered court to ensure that it will comply with competition standards.
The Benguet Caretaker Congressman disclosed that many organizers of various sports competitions will surely be interested to consider the province as potential host of future events once sports activities will be allowed to help in promoting Benguet as one of the sports destinations in the north that will help in boosting the growth of the local economy.
He revealed that he is also considering on what other priority projects that will be implemented within the Wangal Sports Complex to complete the facilities of the sports complex in preparation for the province’s plan to host the conduct of the annual Palarong Pambansa when restrictions shall have been relaxed and to serve as a training area for local athletes to hone their skills in their fields to be able to be competitive in various competitions that will be staged in the future, especially when there will be resumption of gatherings that will include sports events that may transpire when the pandemic will be controlled soonest. By HENT
