Palace urged to form ’05 SEAG task force

The Philippine Olympic Committee yesterday urged Malacañang to form a task force that would help determine and assess which city or province would serve as the main hub of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

"The task force should be formed as early as next month because it takes at least three years to construct a new complex," said POC president Celso Dayrit. "So there is an urgency to know which city or province would be it in 2005."

Dayrit stressed that the multi-sectoral task force should be composed of representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Governments, the Department of Tourism, Finance and Budget and Management so as to get the most out of the country’s hosting of biennial meet.

He added the task force should be separate from the Manila SEA Games organizing committee, which will be composed of the country‘s top sports officials, which will help oversee RP’s preparation for the games.

Dayrit has passed a resolution recommending Manila as the main hub of the 2005 SEAG edition, specifically citing the possibility of constructing a new sports complex in a reclamation area in Pasay City to replace the age-old Rizal Memorial Complex, venue of the 1981 and 1991 SEAG events.

"We already have a study on the country’s hosting of the SEAG in 2005 but that is based on the assumption that Manila would be the main hub," said Dayrit, citing logistics and security as the main criteria in determining the venues for the meet.

Aside from Manila, other bidders are Bacolod and Iloilo, Cebu, Clark Airbase in Pampanga and Subic in Zambales. Tubod, Lanao Del Norte also signified its intention to host some of the games of the 2005 SEAG. — Joey Villar