The city will definitely start construction of the PhP391 million Baguio Youth Convergence and Sports Complex as final evaluation is being made to determine which of the six bidding construction company has the best offer to construct a world class sports facility.
“We really have to start work on the project. We have until the end of the year to spend the PhP50 million share of the Department of Public Works and Highways,” said city administrator Bonifacio dela Pena, Wednesday after the Ugnayan at the Baguio City Hall multi-purpose hall.
Dela Pena said that the bidding was made last September 7 after final adjustments on the projects specifications that will meet world standard.
Dela Pena again reiterated that the winning bidder of the city’s most ambitious sports project yet 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 and we will implement it the soonest,” dela Pena said.
Dela Pena said that the city had several consultations before finalizing the design 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, he said the contractor must be the most qualified and “who has done a sports complex, and must show proof.”
With PSC’s help, the city was able to reduce the 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.