MANILA – Developers and their associate, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), assured that facilities of the modern sports complex in New Clark City will be ready for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games by November.
With nine months to go before the Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 biennial meet gets going, infrastructure developer MTD Philippines and project partner BCDA said construction of the complex is now halfway done or about 53 percent completed.
Both vowed to finish the construction by August or about three months before the regional meet.
“Internally sa amin (for us) August 31 for everything, including the athletes’ housing and government residences. And our deliverable for BCDA at October 30, so there two months safety net,” MTD Philippines President Patrick Nicholas David said during the special Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum held at Mimosa, Clark on Tuesday.
The MTD officer was with Arrey Perez, BCDA vice president for business development and Deputy Director General of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) during the week sports forum to give updates on the construction of the modern sports complex that will serve as main hub of the SEA Games.
The 20,000-seater athletics stadium would be over by June or July at the latest, according to David, while the others will be finished even earlier.
The new sports facilities are part of Phase 1A of the New Clark City Government Administrative Center (NGAC), and it include the track and field stadium, the 2,000-seater aquatics center, and an Athletes’ Village, while being surrounded by a 1.4 kilometer river park development with bikeways and jogging paths.
“We’re very confident na matatapos ito (that it will be finished) and deliver a world-class facility for the Filipino people,” David said David during the session hosted by the BCDA and presented by San Miguel, Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Perez assured the country will be well prepared to host the SEA Games, which was last staged in the Philippines in 2005.
“Sigurado yan na makakapag-host po tayo ng (We are confident that we can host) SEA Games,” said the PHISGOC officer.
“Our vision (is) to have a sports city at the New Clark City kasi napakalaki po niyan (it’s a huge area). Ang gusto naming tumulong (We want to help) for the rebirth of Philippine sports,” he added.
He also mentioned the role of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as a major partner in developing and maintaining the sports facilities being constructed by the BCDA located in Capas and Bamban, Tarlac.
There are 56 sports to be played by nearly 10,000 athletes from 11 countries that include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. (PR)
