THE city government of Naga, Cebu will ensure that their second year of hosting the Central Visayas Regional Association Athletic Association (Cviraa) meet will be a secured one.
In an interview yesterday, City of Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong said they’ve learned their lesson following what happened during last year’s edition when three robbers victimized a teacher inside their billeting area.
Chiong told SunStar Cebu that aside from 59 policemen assigned in their city, the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) plans to provide additional augmentation to the City of Naga during the annual sports meet which starts on Sunday.
Aside from the local policemen, Chiong has also tapped the barangays to secure the billeting areas for the delegates.
Yesterday, around 150 members of the city’s Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) will serve as “force multipliers” during the annual sports meet.
The local policemen and BPATs will be heavily deployed in 16 billeting areas located in various public schools in the city, Chiong said.
Last year, a teacher belonging to the official delegation from Mandaue City was robbed at gunpoint when three men entered their billeting area in Barangay Langtad.
Chiong said they’ve learned a lot since they started hosting the Cviraa last year.
“We learned a lot in terms of preparation and coordination with the different schools and sectors. We were also given a lot of time to prepare for this year’s Cviraa,” she said.
Meanwhile, also as an upgrade to last year’s hosting, all events will be hosted in the city this year.
The newly-constructed Olympic-sized swimming pool of the city will no be the venue for the swimming competition.
Last year, the city failed to finish the construction on time promting then to hold the swimming event at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
The secondary and elementary sporting conclave, which is a qualifier for the 2017 Palarong Pambansa, is expected to draw thousands of athletes from different divisions in Region 7 for the six-day competition.
Chiong said that all the playing venues are set for the sporting meet, which will feature various sports like archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, football, gymnastics, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, wushu, wrestling, billiard and futsal.
“All the billeting centers for the delegates are all set. We will provide enough security for the billeting centers. We expect about 7,000 athletes who will arrive this weekend,” she said.
The event will officially kick off at the Teodoro “Doring” Mendiola Sr. Sports Field and Oval this Sunday. The games will be held in various sporting venues in City of Naga.
Last year, Cebu City Ninos reigned supreme in the event, winning its 24th straight title with 113 gold medals, 71 silver medals and 59 bronze medals.
Mandaue City finished second, while Bohol Province settled third.