Davao Norte wins Davraa hosting

DAVAO del Norte, which will complete its 11-hectare, P242-million sports complex in December, won the hosting rights of the 2013 Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet in a bidding held during the Davraa executive board meeting at the Department of Education 11 (DepEd-Davao Region) conference room on Tuesday.

Mati City, the other local government unit that made its intention to host the regional qualifying for the Palarong Pambansa, gave way to Davao del Norte that was represented by Governor Rodolfo V. del Rosario in the said meeting presided by DepEd regional director Susana Teresa B. Estigoy.

"I am grateful to DepEd 11 for giving us the opportunity to host such prestigious event. I am also thankful to Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat for supporting my proposal as she gave way for us to utilize our state-of-the-art facility," del Rosario told sportswriters after the meeting.

He said they also aim to host the Palarong Pambansa before his second term ends.

Davao del Norte provincial sports coordinator Giovannit I. Gulanes, for his part, said turnover rites of the modern sports complex, which is becoming the envy of neighboring cities and provinces, will also be held in December.

Gulanes also said Davao del Norte had the chance to host the Palaro in 1992 but it ended up in Zamboanga City due to lack of hotels to accommodate over 10,000 delegates of athletes, coaches and officials.

Gulanes added, "Tagum City has a lot of quality hotels now so we are confident that we will be able to accommodate some 12,000 delegates if we will be chosen as host when it's Mindanao's turn to host the Palaro again."

Dapitan City hosted the annual sportsfest for elementary and secondary athletes in 2011 during Mindanao's turn to host the event. Lingayen, Pangasina was Luzon host this year. Visayas is hosting the 2013 edition.

The Davao City Athletics Association Meet, meanwhile, will kick off in October to determine the athletes who will represent the city to the Davraa Meet.