PREPARATIONS for the upcoming Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) is now in full gear.
City sports coordinator Gaudencio Gonzales of host Baguio City said with the recent approval of the budget for the annual sports meet, the Summer Capital is all set for hosting close to 7,000 delegates from all over the region.
Gonzales said all playing venues including the Baguio Athletic Bowl where bulk of the events will be played are ready to host athletes from Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Tabuk City.
“Our playing venues are ready. Even the rehab of the swimming pool is already complete,” Gonzales added.
Last October, the city completed the rehabilitation of the swimming pool with new roofing for the pools and the gallery, a heating equipment, standardized pool, and new shower rooms.
The Summer Capital hosted the affair for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017 before Abra and Apayao welcomed the largest gathering of student athletes in the region in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The Department of Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) earlier announced they have been seeking bidders to host the biggest annual regional sports competition for 2020, 2021, and 2022.
The early identification of hosts will ensure well-prepared sports facilities, billeting schools as well as athletes and coaches according to DepEd officials.
Dep-Ed CAR said bidders should ensure they have the facility at par with international standards for the various sports events that are accessible and free to the public.
Other requirements include the availability of basic services such as medical and dental, communications, water, and electric power supply and the peace and order and availability of billeting for the athletes and the delegates.
The city is set to defend once again the overall title in the regional meet that will commence February 16 – 21.
Baguio has allocated P8.3 million this year’s Caraa 2020 hosting based on the updated budget proposal from the Department of Education – Division of City Schools.
Gonzales earlier said athletes will receive a drinking tumbler they can utilize during Caraa and lessen the use of plastic bottles.