CCSC rubberized track faces costly fix

AN OCULAR inspection report from E-Sports International Inc. has revealed that the deterioration and disintegration of the P53 million rubberized track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) were caused by the use of metal spikes on the spray system surface, which is not spike-proof. 

The report recommended that the Cebu City Government either prohibit the use of metal spikes which still might cause further defects in the oval in succeeding months,  or replace the entire surface with a standard, spike-proof sandwich system. 

The report noted that the current surface thickness is less than the standard 13 millimeters even for a spray system and may have been made of substandard materials. 

The CCSC rubberized track oval underwent renovation in 2024, with a contract amount of P53 million, as part of the City’s preparation for the 2024 Palarong Pambansa. 

However, even before the event, several defects and damages in the newly-renovated oval were already reported. 

On Nov. 8, 2024,  an inspection conducted by the Department of Engineering and Public Works found that the actual rubber thickness in some damaged areas was only seven to nine millimeters when the construction plans required a surface thickness of 13 millimeters.

In August 2025, Mayor Nestor Archival expressed serious concerns over the materials used on the track oval which were not at par with the rubber used during an earlier renovation back in 2012. 

In his report, E-Sports International managing director Audris Romualdez revealed that the oval’s track surface used the spray system, which is permeable and not spike proof. E-Sports International is “a leading supplier of quality sports surfaces,” it says on its company website. 

The metal spikes used by athletes, who train or compete in the facility, cut the system’s surface leading to disintegration and worse tears in the rubber, Romualdez said.

Romualdez recommended to either ban the use of metal spikes or replace the entire surface with the sandwich system using the World Athletics’ Federation (WAF) manual.

The sandwich system, he said, is ideal for competition as it is both spike-proof and impermeable. 

The drain canals in the D-section also have to be changed to slotted drains to meet the safety standards from the WAF manual, the report said.

Moreover,  the canal gratings between the D-section and the eight lanes were found to be no longer safe for the athletes. 

In several parts of the track oval, the black layer underneath was revealed, a sign of deterioration.

The report said there is a “high chance” that this can be attributed to the substandard quality of the materials used.

The renovation of the CCSC rubberized track oval in 2024 was done by contractor SBD Builders. / EHP