MANILA, 29 March — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has awarded the 2002 Palarong Pambansa hosting to Naga City, ending the hard-fought battle between the city and Tubod, Lanao del Norte, for the right to stage the 420-million-peso sporting event on May 19-26.

Earlier, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Eric Buhain said the Dimaporos of Lanao del Norte have withdrawn their bid to host the revival of the Palarong Pambansa this year, leaving Naga City to host the summer games.

“The Dimaporos said they have been affected by the negative image of Mindanao and that it would be okay for them if they get it next year,” said Buhain.

Buhain added both Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo and her husband, Rep. Bobby Dimaporo, have “agreed to wait and see if they will finally get to host the Palaro.”

Naga last hosted the Games for elementary and secondary student-athletes in 1997.

Buhain himself was impressed with Tubod’s facilities when he did an ocular inspection of the facility early this week. He described the facility as “near world class” and the environment conducive to athletic competitions.

Education Sec. Raul Roco, Buhain added, provided the Dimaporos some relief by committing the Department of Education’s support not only for Tubod but also for entire Mindanao next year.

Naga City, which also hosted the Palaro back in 1997, is also the home province of Roco, whose department will still handle some of the aspects of the Games although the PSC will be the overall organizer.

Buhain said that Lanao del Norte agreed to an arrangement to give way to Naga City and take its turn next year.

Backers of the two venues lobbied hard for the hosting, although Naga City enjoyed an upper hand because it was endorsed by both the PSC and the department of education regional directors.

Tubod has been by-passed as host twice before due to various reasons including peace and order situation although Buhain himself admitted that the atrocities are far from the province and are concentrated in Basilan which is about 500 kilometers away.

Buhain said Rep. Bobby Dimaporo and his wife Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo are open-minded about it and that they agreed to hold the Games and spend a lot of time to prepare.

Montemayor named to PSC

Businessman-sportsman Leon Montemayor from Davao has been appointed by Malacanang to replace Amparo “Weena” Lim, who submitted her resignation last month as Philippine Sports Commissioner.

Montemayor’s appointment papers, dated March 6, were signed by Avelino Cruz, Jr., chief of the Presidential Legal Counsel.

Commissioner William Ramirez, a native of Davao, said Montemayor is a former player and coach at the Ateneo de Davao and also served as deputy regional director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) in the early 80s. An avid golfer who is a single handicapper, Montemayor is married to Baby Maceda, a niece of former Sen. Ernesto Maceda.

Lim, who was appointed by former President Joseph Estrada in early 1999, acted as sectoral sports and project director of the 3rd Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy last year in Bacolod.

Malacanang has yet to appoint the replacement of Commissioner Richie Garcia who also resigned from the PSC last month. Montemayor joins chairman Eric Buhain, Ramirez and Cynthia Carrion in the PSC board.

GAB grants PBL status as amateur

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Eduardo Villanueva has recommended to Malacanang that the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) be classified as an amateur entity, not professional, as ruled by his predecessor.

The memorandum, copies of which had been forwarded to Malacanang and the PBL, was also signed by Commissioners Emmanuel Palabrica and Angel Bautista, nephew of Sen. Ramon Revilla. The recommendation was written by the GAB’s legal division head Ricardo Villamil.

When made formal, the decision will pave the way for those in the collegiate leagues like the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines to see action in the PBL without legal impediments.

“With that decision, we can now move forward and continue our thrust for basketball development,” said PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad. It is expected that Malacanang will stand behind the GAB’s recommendation.

It was during the tenure of lawyer Dominador Cepeda as GAB chairman that the 45-million-peso-a-year agency classified the PBL as a professional organization, owing to the proliferation of live contracts and other monetary considerations and perks, making the players under the control of their mother teams.

The GAB, then chaired by Cepeda, issued its declaration of the PBL’s status as professional in December 2000.

The GAB ruling said: “By virtue of the PBL’s adoption and implementation of the revised contracts and/or submission of the subject documents which were not available to the previous board, the present board, hereby, strongly recommends that the PBL be considered now as an amateur league and to be regulated and supervised by an amateur governing body.”

“We are very grateful to the GAB and Malacanang for hearing our side and giving us a new lease on life.” In place of live contracts, the PBL has come out with what it calls as certificate of allowances to differentiate itself from the pro leagues — Philippine Basketball Association and the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).

Manila Sports Academy to rise

In its resolve to promote the development of mass-based sports, the city government of Manila is set to put up the Manila Sports Academy for promising young athletes of the 1st Manila Youth Games at the Manila Boys’ Town in Marikina.

The Manila Sports Academy is envisioned to provide education and sports training for young athletic achievers of the Manila Youth Games, particularly the out-of-school youth, and provide opportunities for them to build their lives as productive citizens.

“As an incentive the city government of Manila will grant scholarships and will continue to support the training of the city’s outstanding performers in the Batang Pinoy, as well as the MYG,” Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said.

“The Academy is expected to bring sports scholarship holders together in one place for long-term residential sports programs where social, educational, medical, and vocational needs will also be addressed,” said Manila Sports Council chief Ali Atienza, son of the mayor.