Tacloban
City (8 March) -- When Leyte
Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said that
the province of Leyte will rehabilitate
the Leyte Sports Complex and the facilities
necessary for the staging of the 2009
Palarong Pambansa, never did the public
imagine that he really meant "state-of-the-art"
facilities.
Indeed,
because "state-of-the-art" is
how people describe the facilities and
the venue of the forthcoming April 27-May
3 national sports competition which Leyte
is hosting.
"The
Province of Leyte has spent around P75
million for the rehabilitation of the
facilities including the Leyte Sports
Development Center. The provincial government
headed by Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla
has earmarked the bulk of the budget for
the rehabilitation of the Olympic-size
swimming pool and the construction of
rubberized track and field oval,"
Leyte Provincial Administrator Vince Emnas
said during last Saturday's SCOOP Forum
at the Kamayan Restaurant in Padre Faura,
Malate, Manila.
Administrator
Emnas said everything is going on smoothly
as to the province's preparation for its
second hosting of the event after 25 years.
Governor
Petilla, ever the development oriented
leader, envisions the Palarong Pambansa
as an avenue to jumpstart the intensified
and comprehensive sports development in
Leyte and in the whole Eastern Visayas
Region.
"This
is one big reason why the Province of
Leyte, headed by Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla,
submitted its bid for the Palaro. It gives
the province the reason to refurbish our
sports facilities which can be used by
athletes not only from Leyte but also
from Eastern Visayas, said Leyte Provincial
Administrator Vince Emnas.
The
same venue was used in hosting the 1983
Palaro, Mr. Emnas said, but this time,
the track and field oval has been rubberized
and the swimming pool has been modernized.
The
Province of Leyte is willing to spend
to the Palaro because Governor Petilla
and the other provincial officials believe
that this is an investment, a step they
have to take in order to have a strong
sports development program, Mr. Emnas
added.
Some
10,000 athletes, officials and visitors
are expected to troop to Leyte from the
17 Regions of the country, for this year's
Palarong Pambansa.
All
in all, there will be 15 sports events
in elementary, while 17 in high school.
Olympic sports like athletics, swimming,
boxing, tae kwon do, badminton, archery,
gymnastics, table tennis and lawn tennis
are also included. (PIA 8)
