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By Eddie G. Alinea, Contributor
THE Puerto Princesa City is expecting at least
17,000 delegates in this year’s Palarong Pambansa, which gets
under way on April 20 to 27.
“Based on the confirmation we’re getting,
each of the country’s 17 regions will be sending at least 1,000
delegates,” said city public information officer Alroben Goh
during the Scoop sa Kamayan session on Friday at the Kamayan
Restaurant.
If the estimated figure would be hit, it could
be the biggest attendance in the history of the annual sports
spectacle.
“That is why Mayor [Edward] Hagedorn and all
of us involved in the preparations are leaving no stone unturned to
ensure that our visitors will have a pleasant and memorable stay in
our city throughout the duration of the games,” Goh assured during
the public service forum sponsored by ACCEL.
The delegation includes athletes, officials and
guests.
President Gloria Arroyo is expected to grace the
meet featuring the finest student-athletes in the country.
According to Goh, a former councilor, the Palaro
is one of the major events the city will be hosting in an effort to
make Puerto Princesa the sports-tourism capital of the country.
“We, citizens of Puerto Princesa, will be
trying our best to give our visitors a kind of life they can never
forget in the duration of their stay in our city,” Goh told his
audience that included National Shooting Association youth
development committee chair Tac Padilla, and Councilor Che Borromeo,
president of the Manila Little League Charter.
Goh assured that the city is almost ready to
accept all its expected visitors, especially in terms of
competitions as renovation and refurbishing made in the existing
facilities, especially the games’ hub—the Puerto Princesa Sports
Center.
A total of P60 million was earmarked for
infrastructure requirements, including P17 million for the
resurfacing of the PPSC track oval.
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