In the next two years, there will be more modern and up-to-date sports facilities available for national athletes.
Multi-awarded architect Gerard Lico said this during the 14th session of the National Sports Summit 2021, which explored sports infrastructure in the Philippines.
World-class venues are currently being constructed in Sorsogon, Davao City and Ilocos Norte.
“Ano ang mga forthcoming venues? We have the Sorsogon Coliseum and Stadium. They are inspired by the Colloseum of Rome. We expect them to be finished by 2022, 2023. In Laoag, under construction ang Ferdinand Marcos Stadium, and we have the UP Davao Sports Complex,” said Lico.
These, according to Lico, will be an addition to new and modern sports facilities which have risen in the last decade, namely the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the Philippine Arena and the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, and the New Clark City Complex in Capas, Tarlac.
Lico, who led a team of architects and engineers commissioned to work on the renovation of the historic Rizal Coliseum last year, said the buildings that are being built adhere to international standards.
In the future, they can be made available to the national athletes and for national and international meets.
The facilities at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex will again be available by next year as soon as it stops becoming a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.
At the moment, no athlete can also train at the Philsports Complex since the place is also being used as an isolation facility.
Lico briefly discussed the availability of new sports facilities in the next three years a day after plans for the construction of a Philippine Sports Training Center materialized Tuesday, to be built inside a 25-hectare lot in Barangay Ibis in the seaside town of Bagac, Bataan.
Construction is expected to start before the year ends in a donated land overlooking the West Philippine Sea.
