THE ongoing construction of the swimming pool and rubberized track oval of the Davao City-UP Sports Complex in Tugbok, Davao City will be finished on schedule, according to a city government of Davao official.
Sports Development Division of the City Mayor's Office (SDD-CMO) officer-in-charge Mikey Aportadera bared this during Thursday's Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao.
Aportadera also said, “If you would want, you can visit the construction of the swimming pool, it is already taking place. The contractor of the swimming pool is optimistic that it can be finished before the Davraa Meet and we will be to use it for events next year.”
He was pertaining to the city's hosting of the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet 2019, Palarong Pambansa 2019 and National Private Schools Athletic Association (Prisaa) Games 2019. The Regional Prisaa Meet 2019 will also be held here.
Davao del Norte, he also said, is kind enough to allow the city's swimmers to train at their Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex (DNSTC) Olympic-sized pool as part of their preparations for the multi-event sportsfest set in 2019.
“Mahuman na sya (swimming pool). I am pretty sure na mahuman na nila (The swimming pool will make it on time. I am certain they will finish it),” Aportadera said, adding that the track oval's construction is progressing and the rubber will soon be placed.
The Davraa Meet is slated by end of January while the Palaro is in April and National Prisaa in May.
On the situation of the squatters in the area, he said that an “amicable and peaceful resolve” is being done.
Reports reaching SunStar Davao cited illegal settlers as the primary problem on the delay of facilities construction in the area but as the city sports chief said, this, too, will be resolved since the city is bent on hosting huge sporting events at the Davao City-UP Sports Complex.
In an earlier DSA Forum guesting, he was also quoted that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio wants the swimming pool completed soon.
“The pool will be ready by Palaro. We are prioritizing to finish the swimming pool. Masuko jud si Mayor if dili na mahitabo (The Mayor will be mad if it won't be ready),” Aportadera said in another edition of the DSA Forum last October.
Davao del Norte provincial sports coordinator Giovanni Gulanes, for his part, told SunStar Davao that Deped Assistant Secretary Revsee Escobedo talked to him, at the sidelines of the joint Department of Education-Philippine Sports Commission national planning workshop at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites in Davao City recently, about the possibility of the province's hosting the Palaro swimming competition should the Davao City-UP Sports Complex swimming pool won't be completed on time.
“Governor (Anthony) del Rosario would be very glad to extend a hand to Davao City. They are good friends with Mayor Sara. Our facilities are ready,” Gulanes said.