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PUERTO PRINCESA: The Department of Education’s budget for this
year’s Palarong Pambansa nearly reached a hundred million.
DepEd will be shelling out P89.2 million for the
games proper alone. Add that to the P9.5 million for the
transportation and accommodation expenses of the participating
regions and the grand total will be P98.7 million.
It’s a 42 percent increase from last year’s
budget of P69.3 million.
The games will start on Sunday at the
newly-refurbished Ramon V. Mitra Jr. Sports Complex in Barangay
Monica.
Education secretary Jesli Lapus wants to make
sure that those figures will no go to waste.
“We issued a general technical guidelines to
ensure that the Palaro will run smoothly,” Lapus said.
He added that sports and health authorities,
with the help non-government organizations, would take closer watch
on safety and health of the athletes to prevent a repetition of last
year’s tragedies at the games held in Koronadal City in South
Cotabato.
During last year’s games, scores of athletes
and officials were stricken by heatstroke, two of them fatally –
Carlos Mingie del Prado, principal of Marinduque High School, who
had a heart attack due to prolonged exposure to the heat, and Edwin
Golmatico, a teacher from Koronodal High School.
As to the conduct of the games, the DepEd has
formed a National Screening and Accreditation Committee to look into
the eligibility of athletes for the Palaro and give accreditation to
qualified athletes and coaches.
Palaro screening committee chairman Leo Pacala
said they have already implemented the new guidelines, which does
not only required the signature of coaches but also the registrar,
principal, PESS supervisor and division superintendent in the
athletes record.
“There are more authorities who have to
certify the athlete’s eligibility now. Before, it was only the
coach and physical education instructor. Even the superintendent
will have to certify the athlete’s eligibility,” Pacala said.
A total of 9,520 athletes from 17 regions
throughout the country are vying for supremacy in 17 sports
disciplines in the high school competition and 14 in the elementary
level.
The host city spent some P50 million in the
rehabilitation of the facilities, venues and billeting centers and
another P10 million for the operation of the multi-event meet.
Other supporters of the competition were the
Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation and the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office.
The medal-rich athletics will be held at the
sprawling 16-hectare RVMJ complex, badminton at the nearby Power
Zone Training and Recreation Center, baseball at the 570th Composite
Tactical Wing grounds, basketball at the Paleco Covered Court, chess
at the Palawan State University, football at the PSU grounds,
gymnastics at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum, sepak-takraw at the
People’s Amphitheater, softball at the Palawan National School
ground, swimming at the RVMJ Aquatic Center, volleyball at the
Baptist Covered Court and lawn tennis at the Air Force court.
-- Frank Calapre And James Konstantin Galvez
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