by: Charles Nikko Limon
A sports facility meant to support youth development in Baguio City has remained idle for four years, raising concerns among local athletes and residents.
Started in 2022, the 434 million pesos Youth Convergence Center at the Baguio Athletic Bowl was supposed to be completed in 2023.
However, the project was left hanging after the city government terminated its contractor, M.E. Sicat Construction, for exceeding the allowed slippage limit of 15%.
Among the concerned youth is student-athlete Michael Angelo Florendo, a former sepak takraw team captain. He said training spaces were already limited. “Usually when we play in barangays, we share the court with volleyball and basketball players. It’s hard to train properly,” he shared.
Florendo emphasized how critical proper space is to develop teamwork. “You need to build teamwork with your group. That’s how you understand your teammates’ positions and how they move,” he said.
He is just one of thousands of student-athletes in the city hoping for a suitable venue to train.
The failed project, now rusting under the sun and rain, has become a symbol of delayed infrastructure in the city.
It’s been rusting. Since 2022, nothing much has happened here.
According to City Administrator Vittorio Jerico Cawis, the government needed the Commission on Audit (COA) to assess the materials and financial spending before rebidding the project. “We needed COA to tell us how much was already spent and how much remains. That way we know what budget to rebid,” he explained.
Despite several attempts, the project failed the bidding process eight times. “Some bidders were unresponsive, others submitted incorrect computations, and some didn’t declare their ongoing projects,” Cawis said.
He added that although the project is now set to be awarded to a new contractor, there is still no clear timeline for completion.
The delays, he said, are due to strict government protocols to ensure transparency and prevent corruption.
“If a project already has issues, we can’t just say, ‘go ahead, finish it so we can pay you.’ That’s not how we work anymore,” Cawis emphasized. “Like with the tennis court, we’ve withheld a significant amount because we saw flaws in their construction method.”
The city’s strict oversight is also one reason why many other public works remain unfinished.
