The city will not repeat errors in the construction of sports facilities built in the past here that bidders must have the experience in building sports complex and with good track record to qualify, city administrator Bonifacio dela Peña told the city council Monday during its regular session.
Dela Peña told city councilors that the envisioned sports facility will “comply with international standard” which is now assured after several consultations with the Philippine Sports Commission including architect Noel Elnar, chief architect in the building of the Clark sports complex used during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
Dela Peña said they approached the PSC “because we are not really experts in this kind of endeavor.” And he said that it took them six months “to revise the design prepared” by the City Building and Architect Office and “changed by PSC to comply with international standard.”
Dela Peña said: “(We) assure you that we will not get a contractor who has not done a sports complex, and must show us proof that the contractor have done it.”
He said that with PSC’s help, cost of the five storey building was reduced to P391 million from the original estimate of P450 million.
Dela Peña said that they will be now very careful and get the contractor best suited for the construction of the sports complex cum youth convergence center and avoid mistakes on the design of facilities within the Baguio athletic bowl like the swimming pool and track, which do not follow international standard.
“The swimming pool and the track are short,” admitted dela Peña during the city council session adding that the track is three meter short.
The bidding will be undertaken soon with the construction of the sports complex cum youth convergence center to commence soon.
In his report to the councilors, dela Peña 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 Peña. 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 Peña 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.
According to dela Peña, 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.
Meanwhile, 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.
