THE 30th Southeast Asian Games next year and the FIBA World Championship in 2023, which the Philippines is both hosting, will jibe with the country’s “Build, Build, Build” Program.
“The plans, biddings, they are all ongoing. Parang nagkakatugma lang ito sa Build, Build, Build project in President Duterte,” said Foreign Affairs secretary Peter Cayetano, referring to the construction boom that the president initiated. “The first six months, from January to June, we’ll have a lot of groundbreaking, the day you start working.”
Cayetano, who was appointed Chairman of the 2019 Manila SEA Games Organizing Committee, met with different government officials from the Department of Finance, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works, Bases Conversion Authority and the National Economic and Development.
While some smaller rehabilitation projects have already started, the bulk of the tasks will take place in the next six months, including the construction of two giant bridges connecting the Pasig River.
“I saw the plan for the two big bridges sa Pasig river, napakaganda, they’re like those bridges in New York or sa London where you can walk, hindi ka lang magko-kotse but you can walk (through it),” Cayetano said.
Most of these projects will be ready by 2019 for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games, although the forthcoming Northrail project that will connect Manila to the main hub of the games in Clark Green City may not be finished yet.
Cayetano said the Philippines’ budget will be higher compared to country’s hosting of the biennial games the last time in 2005, but definitely lower than what Malaysia spent in the KL SEA Games last year.
“A lot will go to training centers and athletes, but we assure that every cent will go long-term, hindi ito ‘yung parang ito ang venue, then after 2019 wala nang gagamit,” said Cayetano, who will meet again with Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Butch Ramirez to finalize the working group for the hosting job.
Most infrastructure projects though will be ready when the country hosts the World FIBA tournament in 2023.
“Most infrastructures nag-tugma lang. With or without FIBA, gagawin naman talaga natin ‘yun, like the train going to the Clark. Ginamit na nating showcase to show FIBA na traffic won’t be a problem. Kasi kung wala tayong gagawin between now and 2023, standstill ang Metro Manila, siyempre concern sa FIBA ‘yun,” he said.