Aliping displeased over slow improvement of athletic bowl

May 11, 2019 Community Billboard

Although happy that he has provided a place for local athletes to train, which also resulted to more Baguio people getting into fitness, former Baguio Representative Nicasio Aliping, Jr. expressed displeasure with his successor and the top city executive over failure to implement additional improvements at the Baguio athletic bowl.

During his three years stint as Baguio congressman that ended in 2016, Aliping sourced out funding for the upgrade of the sports facility including the conversion of the soil and dirt track into tartan, as well as the facelift of the big grandstand that now houses the city tourism and sports offices.

“With (current Rep. Mark) Go, improvements that were already in the drawing board and ready for implantation after 2016 were stopped,” Aliping said prior to his Onjon ti Baguio meeting de avance on Friday at the Baguio athletic bowl.

“With (mayor Mauricio) Domogan, the promised P60 million for a multi-function sports facility remains a promise,” he added.

Both are his main rivals for the lone congressional district of the city when elections come this Monday.

In 2014, Domogan initially proposed a P25 million funding for the upgrade of the grandstand and which was a bone for contention even at the city council which funding will be used to jump start the then 60 year old sports facility.

Aliping sought a meeting with Domogan who relented as Aliping swore that the track will be rubberized and a drainage system introduced.

Moreover, the field was developed to make the sports facility presentable and usable for national competitions like the Batang Pinoy, which the city hosted September last year, or even the Palarong Pambansa which Vigan, Ilocos Sur eventually hosted.

Domogan instead has sought for the increase of the promised P25 million to P60 million, purposely for the construction of a building that will be home to indoor sports.

The area identified was the open lot fronting the swimming pool. The money was approved in the 2015 annual investment plan. Four years after, however, no building has yet been constructed on the said open space.

“This has inspired me to run and eager to go back to Congress,” said Aliping in the hope to convert the 1.7 hectare sports facility into an all-weather training ground.

“Improvements will not stop until we improve all, including the small grandstand and the tennis courts. There should be a public basketball court too,” he added.

The rehabilitation of the sports facility was hailed by former national athletes. “I am grateful that we have this good facility that
will benefit upcoming athletes,” Team Lakay and former two time ONE lightweight king Eduard Folayang said, in the vernacular.

The former three time South East Asian Games gold medalist in wushu sanda regularly train with his Team Lakay members at the oval.

“Our athletes these days are very lucky to have a place (Baguio athletic bowl) to train in now,” said former two time SEAG marathon queen Christabel Martes Abenoja.

Although athletes now compete with fitness buff on the use of the track, still a venue to train has been provided four years ago.

Meanwhile, improvements at the 12-year old swimming pool are ongoing. The P34 million rehab works include the replacement of the dilapidated roofing, installation of solar panels for the heater of the two pools, city sports coordinator Gaudencio Gonzales said on
Friday.

Gonzales added that the tiles had been removed from the Olympic sized pool for the installation of a touch pad. He added that they will most likely add depth to the pool so that diving events will be included in swim meets.

Diving boards will soon be introduced as well as electronic score boards to make the facility ready for hosting national and international competitions.

“We are requesting for further funding,” he said. Up front, an open court for basketball, volleyball and other events is currently being implemented, a P13 million project that will see a paved frontage where courts will be installed.

Contractors have also placed rip-rap walls that will be utilized as seats for spectators have also started.

“The money is not enough for now, but future request for funding will be made,” he said.

He added that engineers from the City Building and Architect’s Office (CBAO) planned to have a split level at the open space, but he instead asked that it should be level so that open courts for basketball, volleyball, sepak takraw and beach volley can be installed.

“That is better than to put a multi-function building for the courts, since only P60 million has been allotted. We need P300 million or even more for that,” he said.

Pigeon M. Lobien/ABN