EVEN with the signing of the national budget last March, the much-awaited fund for the rehabilitation of the Baguio Athletic Bowl remains far from sight.

Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. is upbeat to have the oval rehabilitated this year as the city turns 100 years old. He wants Baguio to have a state-of-the-art facility during its centenary to be able to host national and even international events.

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Bautista said despite the many pleas from other agencies such as the Philippine Sports Commission, the rehabilitation of the Athletic Bowl would just have to wait even with the plans already being laid out.

"Sad to say we still have to receive the money. We just can't go on with the rehabilitation,' Bautista said during a weekly radio program.

But the mayor remained optimistic that even without the national funding, the city would find ways of improving the sad state of the city's lone sports complex.

The National Government has earmarked P144 million for the immediate rehabilitation of Burnham Park, the scenic park located in the heart of this mountain resort city.

The National Government allotted the amount even if President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally turned over the management of the park to the city government last April.

It was learned the park's rehabilitation, which is to start soon upon the orders of the President, is divided into four phases to prevent inconvenience to both tourists and residents.

The bulk of the fund that is approximately P124 million, will be utilized for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Baguio Athletic Bowl to a modern sports arena. This would enable the city to host national and international sports competitions.

Baguio City had been vying to host the prestigious Palarong Pambansa over the past several decades, but the national organizing committee had always rejected its tender because it does not have complete sports facilities.

The P125 million, which is included in the P1.414 trillion national budget this year, will be sourced from the city's accumulated share in the taxes paid by locators in the city's economic zone in the past several years.

The proposed renovation of the sports complex includes provisions for the shot put, soccer, discus throw, hammer throw, and javelin field, within the Olympic-sized oval tracks. (Roderick Osis)