THE business community in Cebu has committed to help Cebu City in the hosting of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 come July through the offering of discounts and tourism packages for the athletes and their families.
This was disclosed by Cebu City Sports Commissioner John Pages following their meeting with business leaders on Monday, March 18.
Among those who joined the meeting were Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Jay Yuvallos, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) executive director Marlene Bedia, Cebu Business Months chairman for digital transformation Anthony Noel, and Mactan-Cebu International Airport head of customer experience and international terminal operations Ricia Montejo.
The Palarong Pambansa will take place on July 9 to 16.
The athletes are expected to start arriving on June 30.
In a message to SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, March 20, Pages said the business community will help by offering special discounts and rates, creating activities for the athletes and other guests, developing pasalubong (homecoming gift) areas, offering city tour packages, and providing transportation rental discounts.
The business sector can also help promote the Palarong Pambansa by installing posters and banners welcoming the athletes, said Pages.
Benefits
During their meeting, Pages also presented the possible benefits the sports event will bring to the local businesses, including the malls, hotels and pension houses, restaurants, airline and shipping companies, and transportation services like buses.
During the meeting, Yuvallos said the expected number of guests who will be visiting Cebu to witness the largest sports meet in the country will not only help the big businesses but also the small ones.
MCCI president Mark Anthony Ynoc also said during their meeting that the Palaro would be an opportunity for Cebu to showcase what it can offer in terms of holding large events.
The Palaro will be participated in by student-athletes from all the 17 regions of the country.
There will be 28 sporting events for Palaro: archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball 5x5, basketball 3x3, billiards, boxing, chess, dancesport, football, futsal, gymnastics, pencak silat, sepak takraw, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, lawn tennis, volleyball, wrestling, wushu, athletics, bocce, goal ball, and swimming.
The various sporting events will be held in 30 different venues in the city, including the Cebu City Sports Center. The sports center has been closed to the public since May 2023 for rehabilitation in preparation for the Palaro.
Cebu City hosted the Palaro in 1954 and 1994.
The first edition of the games was held in 1948.
Government’s role
Under the memorandum of agreement signed by the Cebu City Government and the Department of Education, the host local government unit is responsible for, among other things, ensuring the readiness of sporting facilities, billeting quarters of the athletes and support staff, and other infrastructure requirements; and providing vehicles for the transport of delegates during their stay as well as security escorts during their transport to and from the playing venues and billeting quarters.
The City has allocated a budget of P200 million for the hosting of the multi-sport youth event.
Some 10,000 to 12,000 athletes and coaches are expected to come to Cebu for the 2024 Palaro.