FACILITIES owned and controlled by church group of Iglesia ni Kristo can be utilized for the Philippines’ hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Senator Joel Villanueva said this Monday as he encouraged the organizers of the games to consider holding the sports event at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“Please seriously consider Bulacan, we have the [Philippine] Arena and other great facilities plus extra ordinary hospitality of Bulakenyos,” said Villanueva, who is from Bulacan, on his Twitter post.
The Philippine Arena is a 140-hectare multipurpose indoor arena at Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan. It is the world’s largest indoor arena with a maximum seating capacity of 51,898.
Organizers are also considering sports facilities that will be put up inside the Clark Green City.
Newly designated Organizing Committee Chairman Allan Peter Cayetano said the Clark facilities will be possible within the next two years.
He added that certain areas of Clark Field in Pampanga are high in the priority list of the Duterte administration in terms of development.
“We have to meet and see what’s doable,” said Cayetano, who added that the Philippine Arena in Bulacan and some facilities in Iba, Zambales are also being considered.
“If sports facilities and infrastructure have yet to be seen in Clark, I think it would be much better if we utilize those facilities in the Philippine Arena which are only waiting to be showcased,” Villanueva said.
The senator further expressed his support to the country’s hosting of 2019 SEA Games as it will serve as a good opportunity to boost our sports and tourism sector.
“Apart from showcasing the beauty of the Philippines and the hospitality of our people, the country’s hosting of SEA Games gives us the opportunity to prioritize our sports sector, particularly the training of our athletes, and to fill in the gaps in our sports program facilities,” Villanueva said.
Forty sports disciplines that were featured in the 2005 SEA Games will also most likely be calendared in the 2019 SEA Games when the Philippines hosts it again two years from now.
POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. said this is what he is now pushing in the ongoing SEA Games Federation Council meetings.