Sports Hub or I.T. area? Rama: Rethink proposal for 10-hectare SRP lot

CEBU, Philippines -  Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants the City Council to think about their plan to earmark a 10-hectare lot for a one-stop sports hub at the South Road Properties.

“I am for sports activities being done at the SRP, but if you’re talking about specifically 10 hectares all about sports, we might as well have to rethink,” he said.

Rama said that SRP is envisioned to generate 80,000 job opportunities, and not for a sports arena.

However, he said that he will support on promoting an area of SRP for sports activities, but not necessarily 10 hectares.

Rama made his comment on the proposed ordinance that has undergone public hearing yesterday authored by Councilors Eugenio Gabuya, Jr., Nendell Hanz Abella and Mary Ann Delos Santos.

The authors want to allocate a 10-hectare lot at the SRP for different sports like basketball, volleyball, swimming, track and field, cycling, baseball, rugby, gymnastics, among others.

During the public hearing yesterday, SRP Manager Roberto Varquez said that authorities should consider thinking of alternative sites for the sports hub.

Varquez said that many investors have expressed their interest in buying or leasing portions of SRP after the City Council authorized Rama to sell portions of SRP lots.

“While I support the sports hub, I am concerned of the value of SRP,” he said.

However, Delos Santos said that the city government should not think of economic benefits, but also consider the benefits it could give for the residents of the city.

“This is an opportunity because the city owns the SRP, we do not have to buy or we do not have to look for other properties to buy, that is another consideration for us to think. If we look for other places, do we have the money to buy the area? Let us not limit on the enterprise and economic aspect of SRP,” she said.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña shared the same sentiments with Delos Santos, saying that the sports hub could also generate investments in the future.

Varquez said that the interested buyer of the same lot that the council wants to set aside for the sports hub wants to put up an I.T. hub that would generate thousands of job opportunities to the residents of the city.

He disclosed that the proposed I.T. hub is one of the sources of funds that the executive department is dependent on to get the annual budget for next year.

But Councilor Gabuya said that the city government could also have economic gains with the sports hub as it could generate extra income since it would cater to international and national sports competitions. 

Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) former chairman Jonathan Guardo, who was also present in the public hearing yesterday, said that it is high time for the city to have a world-class sports hub since there are many international and national sports bodies interested in conducting competitions in the city.

He said that the main problem of conducting international or national sports activity is that the city of Cebu has no sufficient venue.

While the city has the Cebu Coliseum and Cebu City Sports Complex, he said these venues cannot accommodate a huge crowd.

CCSC chairman Edward Hayco said that with the one-stop sports hub, it would help minimize crimes in the city as the community will be involved in sports.

“This will be an enduring and lasting legacy of Cebuanos and Filipinos, as it can give a statement that we can take up to the whole world that Cebu City can be sports capital of Asia,” he said, adding that the sports hub can be constructed phase by phase.

When Councilor Noel Wenceslao asked for the estimated cost to construct the sports hub, Hayco said that they will have a “creative way” of developing the area.

He said that they will not be dependent on the city government as they are planning to partner with the private sector.

Dr. Rhoel Dejaño, CCSC commissioner and a certified sports conditioning trainer, said that the city has never trained its athletes in an “Olympic level” but with a sports hub, it would take the training of the athletes to another level.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña suggested that proponents of the proposed ordinance and the CCSC should come up with a list of sports that must be prioritized.

“Think of what we should do first — sports that we are good at — and then prioritize of the development of the sports facilities that would help us excel,” she said.  — (FREEMAN)