Palaro will be held in Dapitan and ZaNorte

CEBU, Philippines - Dapitan City and Zamboanga del Norte’s preparations for 2011 Palarong Pambansa are now in full swing.

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin A. Luistro, who conducted his an ocular inspection together with the DepEd Regional Director Walter Albos and Executive Committee chair and former assemblyman, Romeo “Nonong” Jalosjos.

It can be recalled that a week ago, reports surfaced that Dapitan City’s hosting of this nation-wide sporting spectacle is in limbo and the possibility of transferring such event to Naga City is looming.

But the DepEd Secretary put an end to such speculation by announcing in front of ZaNorte officials, headed by Governor Rolando Yebes last March 20 at the Dapitan Pavilion Hotel, that the Palarong Pambansa this year will be held in Dapitan City.

 Secretary Luistro made such confirmation denying reports that the hosting of the event will be transferred to Naga City.

 With this development, Dapitan and the whole ZaNorte province will be expecting more than 10,000 athletes, officials, and visitors from all over the country who are expected to come and witness the country's biggest sports event for elementary and high school students slated from May 8 to 14.

 In response to growing concerns among critics that the Palaro facilities are not yet ready, DepEd officials and the executive committee expressed confidence that the renovations and construction will be finished before the opening of the games.

 “We are now 80% finished, and by May 8, the facilities will be ready.” This is the bold pronouncement by Dapitan OIC City Engineer Elmer Villoria, who chairs the Palaro Sports Facilities, Playing Venues and Billeting Committee.

Villoria guarantees the completion of all facilities in time for the nationwide sporting event with less than two months to go.

“As far as the over-all project is concerned, we are now 80% complete. The gym is already 70%, the track is 90% and the Olympic-sized swimming pool is at 75%,” he said.

 According to Villoria, this delay of construction for a Palaro event is nothing new. He said that during last year’s Palaro in Tarlac, the swimming pool used for the said sporting spectacle was finished a day before the scheduled event.

Moreover, in an event of power outage, Villoria added that they already have stand-by generators.

The city engineer also disclosed that for the tabulation of results and immediate dissemination of such to the world wide web, the College of Business

Administration (CBA) Building of the JRMSU – Dapitan Campus fronting the track and field oval will be used solely for said purpose. He added that at least 50 computers are now ready to be used in the said building. (FREEMAN)