Palaro delegates ‘priority’ in roads, venues

CEBU, Philippines — This early, Cebuanos are reminded that delegates, especially the student athletes will be given priority in the different venues and other locations and while traveling during the duration of the week-long sporting event.

Palarong Pambansa 2024 is set to happen in Cebu City at the end of the current school year, or sometime around the third quarter of the year.

City Councilor Rey Gealon, Cebu City Traffic Management and Coordinating Council (TMCC) chairman, said that while in most previous venues of the Palaro traffic was not so much of a problem, as most of them are held outside highly urbanized cities, it would be different in Cebu City.

And although Cebu City has already hosted the Palaro twice before, a lot has already changed here and traffic congestion has been a continuing problem that the government is finding ways to solve.

“Delegates must be prioritized going in and out of the venue. Unahon gyd na sila pasud sa venue,” Gealon said.

Team vehicles, he said, would be properly marked to be immediately noticed by traffic personnel, who would then facilitate their passage, especially during rush hours.

This is especially crucial since being on time for the games is very essential to any sporting events, because failure to show up at the venue on the scheduled time of the game after a given grace period would mean forfeiture of the game in favor of the other team.

“Other vehicles must give way, owing to the importance and impact of the event, which is on a national scale,” Gealon said.

He said re-routing for would also be adopted “for the convenience of regular motorists who are not participating in the event”.

“The Traffic Management Plan will be laid out as soon as possible,” Gealon said, adding that this would already be discussed by the TMCC during its meeting tomorrow.

Cebu City has assured during its hosting bid last year the proximity of the venues from the athletes’ billeting quarters.

Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman John Pages had said that most the universities here in the city will be utilized as sports venues, aside from the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) and the South Road Properties (SRP).

The organizing committee is also also looking at utilizing the sports facilities of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-ADC) in Mandaue City.

The Palarong Pambansa features over 20 sporting events, with a separate competition for elementary and secondary boys and girls and events under the Special Games for SPED students.

The annual national sporting event is participated in by the 17 regions of the country.

The following are the Palarong Pambansa 2024 locations with their respective games: SRP (archery, baseball, softball); University of the Visayas, University of San Carlos (USC)-North, Cebu Eastern College (basketball); GMall (arnis, chess); SM City Cebu (dancesport); Don Bosco, USC Talamban, CCSC, Dynamic Herb (football);

SHS-ADC (futsal, gymnastics, sepak takraw); Cebu Institute of Technology University, Southwestern University (gymnastics); SM Seaside City (pencak silat, taekwondo, wrestling); University of Cebu-Maritime Education and Training Center(wushu);

CitiGreen, Altra Vista, Villa Aurora, Camp Lapulapu (tennis); CCSC (athletics, swimming); Cebu Technological University (table tennis); Metrosports (badminton); City Mall (billiards); Cebu Coliseum (boxing);

University of San Jose-Recoletos, University of Southern Philippines Foundation (volleyball); Bright Academy (bocce, goal ball). (CEBU NEWS)