THE Zamboanga City Government has reopened to the public the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex (JEMSC) as repair works that started in February 2022 are completed.
Mayor John Dalipe led the simple program that formally reopened the facility, Wednesday, February 22.
Dalipe also announced the government employees, uniformed personnel, senior citizens and personnel with disabilities are free to use the sports complex.
“Finally after two years, the grandstand (sports complex) is now reopen to the people,” Dalipe said during the short program.
He urged the public to help the government in the maintenance so that the sports complex can be used for a longer time.
Meanwhile, the JEMSC will be the venue for various 86th Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga activities to include the Paralympic Games February 23 to 25, the grand civic military parade and seal competition and the main Dia program on Sunday, February 26.
The sports complex underwent construction, rehabilitation and improvement from March 21, 2016 to January 1, 2019, after it served as the biggest evacuation center in the aftermath of the 2013 Zamboanga siege.
It was inaugurated in February 2019 but was closed to the public due to the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in March 2020.
It was briefly reopened in the latter part of 2021 but had to close anew as it was used as isolation facility and later underwent repair due to deteriorating oval tracks in February 2022.
The 5.7-hectare sports complex was constructed in November 1991 at a cost of P64 million and was completed in time for the 1992 Palarong Pambansa.
The sports complex, which has a seating capacity of 10,000 people, was named in honor of the late Zamboanga City Mayor Joaquin F. Enriquez, Jr. (SunStar Zamboanga)