Every now and then, the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) is made host to fun runs, concerts, religious assemblies and, until it was discouraged a few years ago, even political rallies. At the end of the activity every time without fail, the oval looked like a frontyard that has not seen a broom for months.
I was thus amazed to see the CCSC free of garbage at the end of the zumba warmup and fun run of the Philippine Association of Court Employees (Pace) yesterday morning.
The clerks of court, researchers, interpreters, sheriffs, process servers and other court employees from all over the country, who are here to attend their national convention, obviously heeded their national president’s call.
We’re here on the generosity of Mayor Nestor Archival, the Pace leader said. Let us show our appreciation by keeping the grounds clean, he added, reminding his audience that they were court employees. Oh, if only the other users were as mature.
I was also happy that the fun run ended without anyone getting injured from the holes (they’re no longer cracks) that dot the oval less then two years after it was “rehabilitated.” It’s an accident waiting to happen.
The task of making the facility safe now rests on the shoulders of former councilor Joy Young who has been designated the mayor’s point man in the CCSC. He is perfect for the job; it was he and then mayor Tommy Osmeña who were responsible for converting the decrepit Abellana national stadium into a modern sports complex in 1994.
The oval has undergone repair at least thrice, if I am not mistaken, since its creation. The first two ones were successfully done. The latest one was a disaster.
Mike Rama was the mayor who had the oval repaired most recently in preparation for the 2024 Palarong Pambansa that Cebu City was hosting. He was, however, suspended and later dismissed from office before the repair could be completed. Raymond Garcia took his place.
As friend to members of the CCSC management committee, I had the privilege of joining the ceremonial walk around the oval. I remember the strange bounce at every step. A few months later cracks started to show.
Young has replaced the CCSC manager and the members of the management committee with people he trusted. The facility had P13 million in the bank as of June 30, after donating almost P6 million for the rehabilitation of the swimming pool.
I’m sure that he will not only take care of the money but make it even bigger so that the CCSC will not have to depend on City Hall to rehabilitate the oval. It does not seem to have the competence for that, if the last repair were to be the gauge.