CEBU City Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. has filed a draft ordinance seeking to establish the city’s first government-run skate park and extreme sports facility at the South Road Properties (SRP).
The measure mandates the creation of a Cebu City Extreme Sports Council to oversee safety standards, facility maintenance, and youth development programs for sports like skateboarding, BMX, inline skating, parkour, scootering, and other emerging alternative sports.
Alcover noted the growing number of youth athletes engaged in extreme sports, many of whom currently practice on streets, sidewalks, and parking lots due to the absence of safe, designated spaces.
Alcover said the city must provide “safe, inclusive, and accessible sports facilities” while strengthening youth engagement, developing athletic talent, and promoting sports tourism.
The planned facility will include beginner, intermediate, and advanced ramps, along with areas for both street and park-style skating.
It will also feature zones dedicated to BMX and scooter activities, as well as obstacles for parkour and free-running.
To support users and ensure safety, the site will be equipped with restrooms, a first-aid station, seating and viewing decks, night lighting, CCTV, designated security spaces, safety signages, and emergency response equipment, said Alcover in his proposal.
The exact site within SRP will be determined by the Office of the Mayor, the City Planning and Development Office, and the Cebu City Sports Commission, he added.
The proposed ordinance also establishes rules for users, such as the mandatory use of protective gear and parental consent for minors. It prohibits motorized vehicles within activity areas and bans vandalism, littering, illegal activities, and disorderly behavior.
Additionally, permits will be required for any commercial events held within the facility.
Barangays hosting skate parks will be required to coordinate with the Cebu City Police Office and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to ensure safety and emergency readiness.
The project may be funded through the annual city budget, grants, sponsorships, and public-private partnerships, according to Alcover’s proposal.
“Public demand”
Proposed penalties include the following:
P500–P1,000 for violating safety guidelines,
P3,000 plus community service for vandalism, and
P2,000–P5,000 for unauthorized commercial use of the facility.
If approved, the Cebu City Extreme Sports Council will have 60 days to draft the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
On Oct. 8, 2025, Mayor Nestor Archival met with members of the local skateboarding community to revisit plans for what could finally become the city’s first official skate park.
The project has been repeatedly promised by several administrations but never realized. Public demand intensified after Cebuano skater Margielyn Didal won gold at the 2018 Asian Games, boosting the sport’s visibility and support in Cebu.
Former mayor (now Vice Mayor) Tomas Osmeña previously committed to building a skate park based on Didal’s recommendations, with his sister offering P5 million to kick-start construction.
However, disputes over the proposed location and other logistical issues, more complicated by the 2019 change in leadership, halted the project.
In 2021, Councilor Joel Garganera attempted to revive the plan by proposing a site at the SRP near an open-space park, but that effort also failed to move forward.
In 2024, the idea resurfaced twice: first through then-councilor Rey Gealon, and later when Alcover pressed the council for updates on the long-delayed facility.
The proposed measure is pending deliberation at the Cebu City Council. / CAV