MANILA, 11 January — The race for the right to play host to the 2005 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) is heating up.
Four major cities — Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Bacolod — have already made their pitch for the prestigious regional meet, each one expressing their readiness to make it the best and most successful ever to be staged in the country.
And as always, Manila is considered the slight frontrunner in the race, not mainly because of its reputation as the country’s capital city, but history-wise, it has already successfully hosted two editions of the biennial games in the past.
Manila was the main site when the Philippines hosted the games in 1981 and 1991. So Manila remains the top candidate for 2005, according to the initial plans of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
Yet, the other contenders can’t be disregarded owing to their capabilities in hosting a sportsfest of such magnitude, which would be held in the Philippines at a time when funding is the national government’s main headache.
From now up to 2005, any local government unit granted to host the games will have ample time to prepare, raise funds and sponsorship, even build additional venues. The national government, on the other hand, has put across its goal of spending less for the games. Some of the candidates even boast that they have had already built various sports venues that pass world-class standards, others claiming only minor renovations are needed to improve their own.
All of them have also claimed their cities can build world-class venues, infrastructure and other facilities to hold the various sports events and accommodate the growing number of participants at home and particularly from other countries. Cebu City sports officials urged the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to seriously consider the Queen City of the South’s bid to host the games. And now that the POC has already finalized the guidelines for the bidding, Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Jonathan Guardo said they are currently finalizing a letter of intention to formalize their bid and he will it within the week.
The Cebu City government, headed by Mayor Tommy Osmena, has expressed full support to Guardo’s plans and in fact, has formed the 2005 SEA Games Bidding Committee chaired by Guardo and former lawmaker Joy Young.
Guardo said the city will go all-out to earn the hosting right to host the multi-event competition, saying their "burgeoning capacity" would be in line with the government’s aim of spending less for the meet.
"If the administration is emphasizing on spending less for the event, Cebu is highly capable with its existing sports facilities and venues, and the best hotel accommodations and restaurants for tourists," he said.
Cebu’s "ready-made facilities" and "peaceful atmosphere" make it an ideal venue for the regional conclave, according to Guardo.
According to Guardo, Cebu has blossomed into a highly urbanized area comparable to Metro Manila, complete with existing first-class amenities that includes an international airport, tourist attractions, five-star hotels, among others. "Cebu could not be far behind in terms of competent sports facilities and venues compared to Manila," Guardo said.
He said that the city could easily hold 10 to 15 sports events for the games.
Among those being eyed to host several sports events are nearby provinces like Lapu Lapu, Danao, Mandaue and Mactan. Representatives from these places have also agreed to Guardo’s concept of a multi-city hosting of the games.
Guardo is eyeing the 22-hectare area at the South Reclamation area or a huge property in Lapu Lapu City to be potential venues for a new state-of-the-art stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies.
"We have long studied Cebu’s competence in hosting this international event and we hope to push through with our yearning to put Cebu’s name again in the global arena," he said.
Cebu, he said, has more than 87 hotels and appartelles and 28 beach resorts like Waterfront Mactan and Lahug, Marriot Hotel, Cebu Plaza and Shangrila to accommodate the SEAG participants.
Guardo added the "friendly and peaceful ambience of the province will be long remembered by the delegates, in effect helping improve the country’s image as a tourist destination."
The POC and the PSC intend to hold the SEA Games in more than one venue, as what Malaysia did when it staged the meet last year in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Penang.
"I’ve been to Johor Baru, Malaysia during the recent SEA Games and comparatively, Cebu has better facilities and can easily host some big events like athletics, boxing, weightlifting and even gymnastics," said Guardo.
Guardo said the games should, this time, be held outside Manila, as he appealed to the POC and PSC for Cebu to be given the chance to host the games. "Manila has already experienced hosting the SEA Games. It is time for the government to give the chance to other competent places like Cebu," he said, "and definitely Cebu is willing and ready to host the prestigious competition."
But if the hosting chores for the games narrows down between Bacolod and Pampanga, it will be a choice between a province that would spend less to host the biennial meet and another that would offer a more expensive but wiser investment.
"Bacolod may spend less to host the SEA Games and Pampanga may spend more. But our bid is not limited to 2005 because we plan to build a national sports complex that we can be very proud of," said Pampanga board representative Yeng Guiao.
"And it would actually mean less for the government if we build a new sports complex now than build it years after we host the SEA Games. It’s like hosting the SEA Games while building a new home for our national athletes," Guiao added.
Guiao said Pampanga is offering the vast area inside Clark Field as venue of the new sports complex that would eventually replace the 67-year-old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila — no longer a conducive place to train the national athletes.
"Eventually, we will have to let go of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. So now is the time to build a new one where our athletes can train safely and away from all the distractions in the metropolis," added Guiao, who is also coach of the Red Bull team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
He said Pampanga would need at least 3 billion pesos for the ambitious project with help coming from the national government.
Bacolod, on the other hand, would need at least 2 billion pesos since most of the venues are already in place.
"I’ve talked to President Arroyo twice regarding the 2005 SEA Games and she told me she didn’t want the government to spend too much, and that we must not spend so much in hosting the event," said Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella.
The former PSC commissioner said it’s time the national government gave the provinces a chance to host sportsfest at the SEA Games level, adding that he believes that Bacolod, bidding to host the games with Iloilo, can do it without spending so much.
"Let’s not spend too much. We are in crisis," Puentevella quoted the president as saying.
