Apayao gears up for CARAA 2019 hosting

January 21, 2019 Community Billboard

AAPAYAO – The province of Apayao is gearing up for the hosting of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) annual sports meet set on February 27 to March 3, 2019.
“We are now at least 80 percent in terms of preparations for the second time hosting of the CARAA in the province of Apayao,” Provincial Administrator Vincent Talattag said during the CARAA 2019 Planning Conference in Baguio City on January 11.
Tallatag said they are now finalizing the completion of the tartan tracks at the Apayao Eco-Tourism and Sports Complex in Payanan, Luna, the major playing venue of the CARAA, hopefully by the end of January
Concreting of the oval track has just been finished and within the next few days, the contractor will be asphalting the area before the rubber tracks are installed.
About P60 million was earmarked for the installation of the tartan tracks and the improvement of the different playing venues for CARAA, Tallatag said.
Lawyer Zaide Ravelo, head of the Apayao General Services Office, said the new sports equipment purchased by the province will also be ready by the month’s end.
Aside from the new equipment, the refurbishment and repair of the existing facilities are also in full blast including other playing venues located in the municipalities of Pudtol, Flora and Santa Marcela.
The provincial government is tightening the security plan with the Apayao Provincial Police Office and the Philippine Army to ensure safety and security of the different contingents during the week-long sports events.
Medical and emergency responders also have been arranged to ensure immediate response in case of untoward incidents.
DepEd-CAR regional public information officer Georaloy Palao-ay said that the provincial government and DepEd-Apayao asked to move the annual sports meet usually scheduled on the first week of February to a later date to be able to rehabilitate the different playing venues and billeting schools which were damaged by recent typhoons. This would give also time for the arrival of the rubber tracks to be installed in their sports complex.
Apayao first hosted the CARAA in 2013 and hopes to duplicate the success of hosting the regional meet with its Eco-Tourism and Sports Complex that includes an Olympic size swimming pool.
RMC- PIA CAR