3 contractors interested to build P391-M Baguio sports complex

The road to having a world class sports facility is about to happen as three possible bidders have signified their intention to build the Baguio Youth Convergence and Sports Complex in preparation for the bidding later this month.
“We have a pre-qualification meeting last Monday with three interested bidders,” said mayor Benjamin Magalong of the PhP391 million sports complex that will rise at the front of the swimming pool.
Bonifacio dela Pena, a soils engineer and former dean of the Saint Louis University – School of Engineering and Architecture, who will oversee the bidding of the PhP391 million project said that the day will be August 26.
Dela Pena assured that bidders of the city’s most ambitious sports project will be up to the task in meeting the
highest of quality by following international standards.
“We finally have the funds to have the project bidded,” dela Pena told RNG right after the weekly Ugnayan at the
Baguio City multi-purpose hall Wednesday.
Dela Pena has had several consultations before the finalization of the five storey building’s design including that with the Philippine Sports Commission and its consultant architect Noel Elnar, chief architect in the building of the Clark sports complex used during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Dela Pena earlier said that with PSC’s help they were “to revise the design prepared” by the City Building and Architect Office and “changed by PSC to comply with international standard.”
To be able to realize the design, the contractor must be a most qualified “who has not done a sports complex, and must show us proof that the contractor have done it.”
PSC’s help saw the reduction of cost from PhP450 million to PhP391 million or a PhP59 million savings.
Dela Pena said two sports facilities in the Baguio athletic, the swimming pool and the oval are short of the international standard, the latter is three meters short to be exact.
These, he said, will be avoided as he assured quality for the projected building that will house the Sangguniang Kabataan as well as several sports where Baguio is known to excel in.
During his report to the city council last May, dela Pena said the building will have a parking facility located at the ground floor which can accommodate about 60 vehicles and 20 motorcycles.
The upper ground floor will house the convergence center for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) where they will have offices, a multi-purpose hall, an auditorium and other required amenities for their activities.
The third floor will be a training ground for athletes of contact sports like boxing and taekwondo among others and other individual sports where local athletes have been known to excel.
“Our athletes from the Batang Pinoy need a venue to train and this is what the coaches asked for,” said dela Pena. The city was again the over-all winner in the last national Batang Pinoy held in August 2019.
The fourth floor will have a six lane bowling alley and will be used as training ground for bowlers.
A basketball court will also be constructed on the fifth floor. It will be the first ever basketball court to be put up and managed by the city government for its athletes, the court will be at least five meter high atop the sports complex.
In terms of height, it will be the highest compared to the other floors so that they can install posts that will only “carry the roofing.”
Dela Pena said that if it is done at the bottom, then the posts will carry the load of the upper floors.
Elevators and escalators will be provided to get to the basketball court, while bleachers will be built also as this will be one of the more frequented facility within the sports complex.
Dela Peña said that while the use of the sports center and its amenities will be free of charge for the city’s athletes, charges will apply to other individuals as the facility is also eyed as a commercial enterprise.
During said city council report, Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda emphasized the need for an operational plan of the facility that will spell out the guidelines for its financial operation and sustainability. She added that only city recognized athletes will make use of it for free.
Pigeon Lobien / RNG Luzon

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