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| (from left to right) City Sports OIC Mikee Aportadera, Cong. Isidro Ungab, Cong. ALberto Ungab, Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Pascual and guest (Photo credit: Team Acosta) |
For so many years, it has only
been a dream for the city to have Olympic standards Sports facilities. But
today, things are starting to unravel.
The journey of materializing
these multi-million projects built in the vicinity of UP Mindanao has not been
easy for the local government of Davao and the management of UP. According to
the then 3rd District Congressman Isidro Ungab in his speech, he
said that it has been a challenge to pass a resolution supporting the creation
of a Sports Complex in Davao City. The area on where the facilities are to be
built gave the City Council a hard time deciding. But after the long fight, the
building of the sports complex has prevailed. Putting it up in the UP Mindanao
Campus has been backed by legal basis wherein the Memorandum of Agreement
between the City and the school have entered into, paved the way for the city to utilize
the land for the benefit of the citizenry.
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| Ground Breaking of Infrastructure Projects in UP Mindanao (Photo credit: Team Acosta) |
The Sports Complex is composed of
a Multipurpose Human Kinetics Building, Olympic size stadium, Aquatics Training
Gym and many more. It has been the desire of the local government even during
the leadership of then Mayor now President Rody Duterte to support and develop
sports in the country. Commissioner Butch Ramirez of the Philippine Sports
Commission said in his speech that if sports flourish in a country, it means
that the country is developed. The government, according to him has been doing
a lot of efforts to strengthen and develop Filipino’s love of sports.
Just like any other developments,
there are also resistance that come along these projects. The issue concerning
the relocation of the long-time residents of areas in UP Mindanao in which the
projects are to built posed the biggest challenge. There were families that
were good with the agreements but there were some who insist their will.
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| Multipurpose Human Kinetics Building (Training Gym) (Photo credit: Team Acosta) |
With much excitement,
representatives from the government, local and national, as well as members of
the UP Administration and guests from the business community and people of
Davao, have gathered to witness the Inauguration of the Multipurpose Human
Kinetics Building and Groundbreaking of other Infrastructure Projects in UP
Mindanao. The rain did not stop Commissioner Butch Ramirez of the Philippine
Sports Commission, representing President Rody Duterte, as well as City Sports
OIC Mike Aportadera, representing Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, together with the
President of the UP System Hon. Alfredo Pascual, to lead the ceremonies and
welcome everyone in the first of the many infrastructure projects that are soon
rising in the area. With great pride, the Philippine Sports Commission aims to
host the Palarong Pambansa as well as the Southeast Asian Games on 2020 in this
city.
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| Davao City Officials together with Commissioner Butch Ramirez and Commissioner Charles Maxey) (Photo credit: Team Acosta) |
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| Hon. Alfredo Pascual giving his inaugural speech (Photo credit: Team Acosta) |
Everyone in the hall is very
excited and supportive with the developments and projects unfolding. Even the settlers’
cooperative leaders and members were present during the inauguration to show
their support and excitement seeing the first of the many projects that this
city will have.
The projects are set to be done before the SEA Games in 2020.
Let us be excited to the many
developments this city has in-stored and let us continue to support Philippine
Sports and our athletes.
