Davao-UP Sports Complex nears completion as local gov’t gears up for hosting games

By Carmencita A. Carillo
Correspondent
DAVAO CITY — Construction of the P8-billion Davao City-UP Sports Complex is now 80% complete and the local government is positioning to host national and international events, including the 2019 South East Asian Games (SEA Games) in December.
“With today’s signing, we move closer to the attainment of our vision of transforming Davao City into a premier sports-tourism destination,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said during the signing last Jan. 10 of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the city government and the University of the Philippines as represented by its president, Danilo L. Concepcion.
The MOA seals the collaboration that started in 2015 for the development, construction, and operation of a sports complex in the city.
The Davao-UP Sports Complex is located in a 20-hectare area of the UP Mindanao complex in Mintal.
“We intend to use the sports complex for the Davao Region Athletic Association (DavRAA) Meet as a practice for the 2019 Palarong Pambansa and other sports events in the future,” Ms. Carpio said.
The DavRAA Meet is set on Jan. 27 to Feb. 2.
Michael Denton Aportadera, head of the City Sports Development Division, gave assurance that the facility will be ready for the regional event.
As of Jan. 13, he said, the finishing touches for the multi-purpose gym and the oval track were underway while the aquatics center was on its last phase of completion.
“Aside from the DavRAA and the Palarong Pambansa, the sports complex is also being eyed as a possible venue for the 2019 South East Asian Games (SEA Games) that will be held in Davao City,” Mr. Aportadera said.
TRAINING
Ms. Carpio also said that with the new facility, local athletes now have a better training venue and “I am confident that we will be seeing more Dabawenyos succeed in their respective fields in sports.”
Assistant City Administrator for Operations Lawrence T. Bantiding said the local government is also hoping that UP, as part of its expansion plans in Mindanao, will consider the establishment of sports-related courses to enhance the skills of athletes from the country’s southern islands.
“We cannot recruit many athletes from Mindanao because of the lack of facilities to help them train,” Mr. Bantiding said.
Mr. Concepcion, for his part, also urged UP Mindanao to spearhead the establishment of Mindanao’s version of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), which has eight universities in Metro Manila as members.