THE Department of Education (DepEd) will only provide assistance for the transportation, uniforms and meals of the 12,000 athletes and participants of the Palarong Pambansa.
The Cebu City Government will shoulder the rest.
This was confirmed by DepEd Cebu City assistant schools division superintendent Adolf Aguilar, who said that Cebu City Government, the host of this year’s Palaro, will not receive any subsidy from the National Government.
“No budget from the National Government is allocated to the Cebu City Government,” he said.
Aguilar, in a phone interview with SunStar Cebu on Sunday, May 26, 2024, said the DepEd central office will shoulder the roundtrip transportation of athletes and their delegation and pay for their official playing uniforms and regular meals.
He said the DepEd central office will also provide financial support to each billeting school in the amount of P250,000, as well as provide the DepEd Cebu City Division with new sports supplies and materials.
However, he did not provide more details about the budget allotted for the sports supplies and materials.
The City is currently putting out to bid the repainting of the 20 billeting schools in the amount of P180 million
Meanwhile, around 500 jeepneys, vans and buses will be deployed during the event with the City partially subsidizing the expenses.
The 64th edition of the Palarong Pambansa will run from July 6 to 17.
According to the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed last February by Cebu City and the DepEd for the hosting of the Palaro, the City Government will have to provide regional delegations with educational trips and souvenir items.
It shall also provide all the trophies and medals for all sporting events, funding for the honoraria or supplemental allowances of members of the national technical working committees, as well as technical officiating officials.
The City must also ensure that technical facilities, equipment and materials that will be used in the games will of international standards. The sports venues, including grandstands, bleachers and viewing areas, must be well-secured, accessible and free to the general viewing public
For the billeting quarters of all regional athletic delegations and technical officials, the City has to provide at least one room for every 10 delegation members or a minimum of 70 classrooms for every delegation.
The room should have screened windows to protect delegation members against any harm that may be brought by mosquitoes, and other insects.
The billeting quarters should have an uninterrupted, clean, and adequate water supply and electric power.
As Palaro host, it is also the City’s responsibility to create and convene the Local Palaro Executive Committee, secretariat and other working committees necessary for the hosting of the event.
Other responsibilities of the City, according to the MOA, include:
• Enforcing ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship, and access restrictions within the 100-meter perimeter venues, and to prohibit receipt of donations/contributions from any third party who is part of, or who represent the interests of, or receive funding from the tobacco industry;
• Provide focal persons or liaison officers or committees, or othe manpower requirement who will coordinate and assist DepEd from the preparation stage up to the actual conduct of Palarong Pambansa 2024;
• Ensure the accessibility of public transportation and communication in all playing venues and billeting quarters;
• Ensure that all roads leading to all billeting quarters and playing venues are well-maintained;
• Provide roving and on-call medical and first-aid personnel to be assigned in all billeting quarters and sporting venues for the whole duration of the Palaro 2024; and
• Provide security escorts for delegation in transit to and from playing venues and billeting quarters; among others.
Rehabilitation works at the Cebu City Sports Center, the event’s main venue, are still ongoing with the contractor starting to lay the rubber on the track oval last Saturday, May 25.
The City earlier approved a P400 million budget for the staging of the largest sporting event in the country.
Last May 20, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia suspended for three days all ongoing procurement related to the Palaro, including bidding; issuance of notices of award and notices to proceed; purchase orders; contracts; and any other pre-award activities, including those under “alternative methods of procurement.”
The budget allocation for the rental of portalets and portabaths was also reduced from P21 million to P18 million.
Garcia has yet to provide the result of the review of the procurement processes of the city.
Cebu City first hosted the Palarong Pambansa in 1954 and again in 1994. / DPC