THE P100-million training gym, which is part of the University of the Philippines (UP)-Davao City sports complex, has been completed and will have its soft opening at 4 p.m. Friday at the UP Mindanao campus in Mintal.
Former Davao City third district representative Isidro Ungab confirmed this to SunStar Davao Thursday.
"I will just be a civilian guest tomorrow. But I am very happy. For a long time, we have been dreaming of this since 1996. Kami ni President (Rodrigo Duterte), Mayor pa siya ato, pangandoy ra nga maghimo og sports complex sa syudad (This has been our dream of President Duterte when he was still mayor at that time, to have our own sports complex). That dream is being realized," Ungab, who pushed for the construction of the 20-hectare P8 billion facility during his term as representative, said in a phone interview.
He said that the completed gym is only one of the gyms that will be built in the sports complex.
Ungab said, "'Yung gym na natapos na eh para sa mga indoor sports, iba pa yung multi-purpose gym. May P50-million gym pa na gagawin."
The groundbreaking of the football stadium phase 2 and football field and track oval, among other UP facilities, will also be held today.
The designs of the stadiums, according to him, will be just like the Quirino Grandstand.
"The construction of all facilities will be finished hopefully by 2018 para tuloy-tuloy na sa hosting ng Palarong Pambansa," Ungab said. He also said that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio issued an executive order for the city to bid for the Palarong Pambansa 2019 hosting.
He recalled how the city's athletic meets were held at the PTA grounds where the People's Park is currently located and that the new sports complex will be an answered prayer for all Dabawenyos.
Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez will represent President Duterte as UP president Alfredo Pascual will also grace the milestone event.