THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) technical inspection team is coming to Davao City again next week for another round of assessment on the progress of ongoing construction of possible venues for the country's hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
PSC chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, in a press conference at the PSC conference room in Manila, said while he was excited about holding the SEA Games in the planned Olympic Training Center that will soon be built at a 50-hectare lot in Clark, Pampanga during last week's press conference, people in Mindanao have been asking him about the feasibility of Davao hosting the biennial meet instead.
He said a team will arrive and will meet with Davao del Norte Governor Anthony del Rosario, city administrator of Davao, University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao leadership, Pastor (Apollo) Quiboloy's team, SM Malls, University of Mindanao (UM) leadership, University of Southeastern Philippines (Usep) leadership and other stakeholders.
"From there if they are short of things, we will discuss with Secretary (Salvador) Medialdea if they can help augment the construction to push through with the hosting of Davao City in 2019," Ramirez said, adding that he may join the inspection team.
He added that Davao City and Davao del Norte may host 10 events each.
PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond Maxey, for his part, said Presidential Adviser on Sports Dennis Uy, who is president and CEO of homegrown Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., "is bent on making the hosting in Davao City".
Maxey, however, said they will conduct another assessment on the latest development of the venues they inspected the first time they came here last month including the UP Mindanao where the 20-hectare city sports complex is being built and the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City that hosted the 2016 Palarong Pambansa last May. The team also checked the SMX Convention Center and the SM Lanang Premier atrium as well as Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal.
"The decision will still depend on the final recommendation of the team," said Maxey who was accompanied by Commissioner Arnold Agustin, PSC acting executive director Ronnel Abrenica, architect Noel Elnar, PSC planning and program department's AlonaQuintos and Engineer Eduardo Clariza during the first inspection.
Ramirez said a Davao hosting of the SEA Games in 2019 will benefit the whole of Mindanao. "It can be a big news to the world that Mindanao is peaceful. Mindanao will attract more investors when they see na maayos naman ang lugar."
He reiterated that Manila has better opportunity to host the SEA Games with existing facilities that only need to be rehabilitated and memorandum of agreements (MOAs) that could just be forged with private companies and local government units.
But the PSC chief clarified that he was making the pronouncement considering that Davao facilities are still undergoing construction and may not be ready for 2019, saying, "I will not risk hosting kung hindi matatapos. If matatapos, why not?"